


Back to Where You've Never Been

by CouldntBeDamned



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Avengers are Perfect, Alternate Tony Stark is Perfect, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe of an Alternate Universe, Background Relationships, M/M, Pain. Lots of Pain., Peter Parker Feels, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is 18, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Is A Dick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:53:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CouldntBeDamned/pseuds/CouldntBeDamned
Summary: In an alternate reality, Peter Parker is living out his dream of being Spider-Man and working as an intern for Stark Industries (and the Avengers!) under his hero, Tony Stark, before heading off to college.  For the most part, it's incredible.  Okay, the Avengers treat him like he's still a child, and Mr. Stark's not exactly the friendliest mentor.  But still, it's good.Except that recently, Mr. Stark's been in the worst mood and Peter finds himself the unwitting focus of the man's ire.  He tries to keep his spirits up and tell himself that it's not personal, that anyone in the lab would be a target, but when Mr. Stark kicks him out, Peter knows he's done.Then he finds himself falling for what feels like an eternity before returning to New York.  Only it's not his New York City and the Iron Man he ends up fighting alongside is definitely not his Iron Man.  Anthony Stark is kind of perfect.  The Other Avengers are kind of perfect.  Everyone here seems to love him.  And when he and Anthony are tapped by Dr. Strange to help seal the rift between realities, Peter finds himself wondering if he was supposed to be in the reality with Anthony all along.





	1. Fracture

**Author's Note:**

> So... my working title for this is "Pain. Lots of Pain." So make of that what you will.

**Chapter 1 - Fracture**

* * *

Tony's CEO goes on her (long-planned, desperately needed, beyond deserved, probably much too short) vacation. Which means Tony is in charge.

He was CEO of Stark Industries for years before he handed the company off to Pepper. He can handle the company for a month in her absence. And he can handle the upgrades to his suit, and Sam's wings, those arrows he's promised Clint, and the other various bits of weaponry and tech the team needs. He has an intern, now. Oh, and he can handle the "also doing the Avenger thing", no problem. It's not like his life is going to crash and burn, after all.

He's got this.

* * *

Peter bounces into the lab as he usually does, face not-quite-flushed from his rush to get back to work. He isn't late, but he likes to get in early, read through updates from the night staff. It's so nice being out of school now, only beholden to the hours that May's requested he spend at home. At least until college. In the mean time, he gets to spend free time at his internship here in Tower, with his favorite person mentoring him.

"Hey, Mr. Stark!" he calls out. He lets his backpack fall to the floor with a dull thud.

Mr. Stark's in a zone, working on re-configuring some nanites that are out of calibration. One shocks him and he hisses. "Hey," he says vaguely, not even looking up from his work.

"Were you able to look over my modifications for Sam's wing pack?" Peter asks, pulling up his specifications.

"No," Mr. Stark answers. He presses his watch and another set of lenses flip over his goggles and he leans in closer to his work.

Curious, Peter ambles over, leaning down as well.

"Gonna need some space here, kid," Mr. Stark mumbles, still not looking at him. "Can't work with you breathing down my neck."

"S-sorry," Peter says quickly. He goes back to his work station and closes out the wings, pulling up the modified arrows for Clint instead. He and Clint have talked about getting a version of Peter's webbing into an arrow that Clint can use to incapacitate just like Peter does. But the compression is different and Peter needs to play around with the formula.

He runs through variations and the schematics of the most likely designs for the arrow heads. He's dancing around, like he does when he gets in his own zone. He snaps his fingers as he runs simulations, tapping his foot when one shows promise.

"You wanna knock the noise off?" Mr. Stark calls to him. He looks over to see the man looking at him with an unimpressed expression. Peter _hates_ to see that expression directed at him. It makes him feel about two feet tall, like he's fourteen again.

"Sorry," he says quietly. "Just got in a zone."

"Yeah, well, I need to concentrate," Mr. Stark says shortly, turning back to the nanites.

Peter ducks to grab his Stark Sound Pods out of his backpack and slips them in, asking JARVIS - quietly - to run his playlist through them. He hears the opening of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and grins. He dives back into his work, progressing along until he hits a point where he needs the man's input. He pulls a pod out. "Mr. Stark?"

No response.

He looks around. Mr. Stark's not even in the lab anymore.

Peter frowns. Mr. Stark's never just left without saying something before, even if it's just a not-so-teasing "don't wreck my lab, Kid." Peter shrugs and checks the time. He's been here for over eight hours. It's pushing 2am. He checks his phone's schedule; May is pulling a night shift at the hospital, so he won't have to worry about waking her up.

He decides to leave his backpack in the little locker that Mr. Stark's assigned him and grabbing his phone, leaves.

He suits up so he can sling back home, and once he crawls into his bedroom, falls face first on the bed and sleeps.

* * *

Mr. Stark's in a mood, the next day. His eyes are blood shot and there are dark circles around them. There's an abrasion on his upper cheek and he looks dead on his feet. His usual anthems of AC/DC and Black Sabbath are nowhere to be heard. He's hunched over his work table, just like he'd been the previous day.

"All right, Mr. Stark?" Peter asks, immediately concerned.

"Just a mission that went to hell and back," Mr. Stark mutters, pulling up the wing design Peter's been working on.

"Is that where you went, yesterday?" He steps closer, ready to answer any questions about his proposals Mr. Stark might have.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't update my schedule for you to nose at," Mr. Stark says dryly.

"I could have helped," Peter says. "It's not like I have school in the morning."

Mr. Stark rolls his eyes. "If we'd needed you, we would have called you. We've been doing this a lot longer than you."

"But I-"

"You messed up on the wings, by the way," Mr. Stark interrupts. "I highlighted the mistakes. Fix them." He swipes the blueprints over to Peter's station and pulls up his own work, effectively dismissing Peter. Mr. Stark delves back into the world of his nano tech and Peter, chagrined, studies Mr. Stark's notes to see where he went wrong.

His calculations weren't wrong, he sees, just incomplete. He wouldn't have known to account for nanite compression and expulsion, since neither Mr. Stark nor Sam had mentioned anything about expanding the nano-tech into the wings. He figures this is Mr. Stark's way of letting him know? There are a few places where he spec'd the tolerances too tight, which, okay, that's fair. But it's the way that Mr. Stark's notated some things that have him flushing in upset. _This is embarrassing, Kid... Is this your first time or what? ... RE: Tolerances for Dum-E_

Mr. Stark can be exacting, but Peter had been proud of his design, especially for a first go-round.

He shrugs it off and goes to work. Have to make mistakes to truly learn, after all. It'll be good for him, he's sure. By the time he finishes making his corrections, it's nearly 11pm. His stomach is protesting in hunger.

"Go home."

Peter looks up to see Mr. Stark shutting down his station. Was he actually leaving at a decent hour?

"Mr. Stark, did you want to grab dinner or something?" he asks.

"Just grab something on your way home," is his answer.

"I can stay," he protests. "It's summer. And JARVIS said you haven't eaten today." And he really wants to get back to the arrow design for Clint; he's so close to a breakthrough.

"It's past your bedtime. Go home."

"B-but-"

"Go home. Sleep. I can't babysit tonight, I have a board meeting tomorrow."

"I don't need babysitting!"

Mr. Stark levels him with a glare. "Sure you don't."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Peter sighs out.

"Yep."

Peter stops at a favorite Chinese take-away place that's still open and spends more than he should have. It's only when he's sitting at the kitchen bar that he realizes he's ordered Mr. Stark's favorites instead of his own. He pulls out the offending ingredients as best he can and eats. He stops long before he's actually full; May's not going to feel like cooking when she gets home.

* * *

"Hey, Mr. Stark!" Peter managed a whole three hours of sleep before his senses woke him up and had him slinging off five blocks east to help evacuate tenants from a blazing building. But he feels good. He _likes_ to be useful. He's going to need to fix the suit, though.

Mr. Stark finally looks up from the wrist unit he's tweaking, SSP in his ear. "You're late."

"Sorry," Peter says. He discretely checks his watch. He's an hour _early_ , since he was up and May had already left for her shift. "Did my hours change?"

"You tell me."

"I-I don't, w-what-"

"Look, either you can do this, or you can't," Mr. Stark snaps. "Don't give me excuses." He turns around and Peter finds himself wondering just what he did wrong. He would have remembered if his hours had changed, because he would have told Aunt May.

"Mr. Stark?" He's not sure how to approach him. "I think the suit is going to need some repairs. I was mostly clear of the building before it collapsed so-"

"What do you mean "mostly" clear?" Mr. Stark asks. He sits up and strides over to Peter. "What the hell were you doing?"

"There was a fire early this morning. I woke up to go help evacuate the tenants. Like I said, I was mostly clear, but something must have gotten jostled when the rubble hit me because the HUD went wonky and-"

Mr. Stark looks like he's trying very hard not to yell.

"It's okay, everyone got out safe and the bruises were gone when I checked so-"

"Leave the suit and I'll see about fixing what you broke," Mr. Stark says before he can finish. "You have got to start being more careful," the man chides.

"I'm sorry," Peter says, reflexively. Because he doesn't think he's done anything wrong. He was helping, saving people. That has to count for something.

"Whatever. Look, I got another meeting I have to handle. You done with the arrow designs yet?"

"Not yet," Peter tells him. "I was fixing the schematics for Sam's wings. There are four prototypes I want to build to test out with the web fluid."

"Go nuts," Mr. Stark tells him. And disappears for hours before coming back in one of the worst moods Peter's ever witnessed the man have. Peter keeps to himself, doesn't ask questions, and builds three of each prototype for testing.

He's about to send a message to Clint to ask him when he's available to start testing when Mr. Stark actually _throws_ a tool across the lab. Something clatters, something shatters, and Peter is... kind of afraid, if he's honest with himself. He's not in danger, because his senses aren't freaking out, but still.

He forgets to send the message to Clint.

* * *

The mission sucks.

It isn't a disaster, it just goes on for longer than any of them would have liked, bad guys included. He isn't sure just how AIM always manages to have such poorly executed (yet often kinda smart) plans, but it is getting old. He wishes he had the arrows finalized for Hawkeye (since Mr. Stark it seemed could whip things up in a matter of hours) but the archer had been out for solo missions and hasn't had a chance to test them. There's no way Peter is letting unvalidated tech into the field.

Mr. Stark had stared him down when he boarded the quinjet to leave with the team. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Cap called me," Peter had said. He'd managed to keep his face neutral, even though he was excited to be on a proper mission, again.

"Yeah, we're good-" Mr. Stark had started.

"We need him, Tony," Captain had interrupted. "Pietro is still recovering and with him out Peter's the fastest we have. You saw the footage; we need speed."

"He's _my_ intern."

Peter had _not_ wanted to preen at that. Definitely not.

"He's an Avenger," Cap had said with finality. And a chill went through him because even though he knew Cap would later say that it's a temporary thing (like he always does after any mission Peter's called for), it's what he's been wanting for _years_. Spider-Man is - for this mission at least - an Avenger.

Peter _is_ super fast as he slings around, webbing up the drones as he catches up with them. Wanda's slowing them down with her red magic stuff and Peter strings them together for Hulk to smash and Mr. Stark and Rhodey to blast while Steve, Sharon, and Nat square off with the lackeys on the ground. Sam and Clint are providing air support and visuals while Scott dives in and out of the lackeys' gear with joyful abandon as weapons become useless. Hope does the same as Scott, just with actual dignity and some ass-kicking.

At one point a stray stream of energy shoots up and Peter finds himself hurtling through the air after Iron Man pushes him out of the way, taking the blast himself. Peter crashes into a building hard enough to cause Karen to have to restart. Hulk doesn't like that Mr. Stark's been hit and isn't shy about letting the source of the energy know it. With the Hulk on a rampage, containing the extra damage is not easy. When Nat is finally able to get away enough to calm him down, the drones are destroyed, and the team is ready to turn it over to the local authorities.

"I'll catch you guys later," Mr. Stark tells them as he fires the suit up. "I have an acquisition meeting I have to be in Jersey for." He flies off.

"I will be damn glad when Pepper gets back," Rhodey comments to no one in particular.

"He hasn't seemed that bad," Steve says "At least, not as bad as I was expecting, given the last time Pepper was out of the office."

"Peter, have you noticed anything different?" Rhodey asks. "You spend the most time with him."

Peter freezes at that. "No, no, he's been fine. Just stressed." He decides to change the subject before anyone can pry further. No need for the team to think he can't handle whatever this job throws at him, from AIM's plans to take over the world to Tony Stark in a Mood. Because he can handle it. He can. "Who's up for post-battle pizza?"

* * *

It's been little over two weeks.

He's starting to dread going into the lab. No matter what he does or says, Mr. Stark seems to find fault. He nearly had his head chewed off for wearing his SSPs the previous day, because he hadn't heard Mr. Stark asking him a question the first time. He's either too loud or too quiet. He resorts to twitching his fingers to expel stress, since finger snapping and knuckle cracking have been - and he's quoting Mr. Stark - "yeah, I'm just going to forbid that."

He knows Mr. Stark's under a lot of stress, with temporarily running SI and not to mention all of the recent 3rd-rate villain pop-ups (that are small enough that Spider-Man isn't needed, but major enough to warrant Avengers response?) happening. When he'd started his internship, for real this time, Peter had been warned by Bruce, Pepper, and Rhodey (and Steve, Natasha, Sam, Clint, Wanda, Pietro, Sharon, Scott, and various lab techs) that Mr. Stark could get into moods while working, that he never meant anything by it, but that it was just unpleasant to deal with. So he tries not to take it personally, but having who is probably the person he looks up to the most snapping at him is hard. He doesn't complain, just tells himself that this will pass and that things will eventually go back to normal.

He hopes.

When August 10th dawns though, he's determined to make it a good day. He and May went out for dinner the night before, and at midnight, May wished him a happy birthday with a little cupcake. He's 18 now. Not a kid. MJ and Ned are planning on taking him out to eat and see a comedian they all like. He's been looking forward to this for _so long_.

He slips into the lab, careful not to make too much noise, since yesterday he'd stumbled into the doorway after nearly running into Dum-E and Mr. Stark had snapped out "Okay at this point, I want you barely seen and _definitely_ not heard!"

He keeps his head ducked and pulls up his drafts for some new web shooters he's been mulling around. He'll need them, if Mr. Stark ever decides to give him a nano-tech suit. From his calculations the web-fluid would be incompatible with the nanites, so he'd have to go back to wearing the shooters separately, but he's not terribly concerned.

He keeps to himself as he works, braving the SSPs so he can be notified of any messages from MJ or Ned. It's time for what's supposed to be his stopping point - even if he usually blows past it. He pulls out his phone to text MJ and Ned that he'll be on his way shortly when Mr. Stark's voice stops him.

"Going somewhere? The Widow Bites need some more tweaking."

"It's uh-" Peter starts.

"What? You got something more important than fixing tech for your teammates?" Mr. Stark asks. He, per usual these days, looks like hell. The bags under his eyes are worse than ever. He's lost weight and his beard isn't up to his usual standards. "Well?"

"No, uh, it's not important." Peter wants to kick himself. It's his _birthday_. He's 18. He's supposed to have the night of his life. He sends a text to MJ and Ned. _Sorry, Avengers stuff came up. Guess I have to start adulting already. We'll do something this weekend, I promise! Have fun at the show._ He shuts down his phone because he _knows_ MJ and Ned both will raise hell.

"Okay then," Mr. Stark says. "Get back to work."

There's a small part of Peter that hopes it's just an act, that Mr. Stark's messing with him. That Mr. Stark hasn't actually forgotten his birthday.

But as he finally climbs into his bedroom at close to 3am, he admits to himself that sometimes, just like the others had warned, Mr. Stark is just a jerk.

At least the Widow Bites turned out great. Natasha herself had swung by to check on them and her fond ruffling of his hair had sent a flush to his cheeks while Mr. Stark rolled his eyes.

* * *

The next day starts off with a hell of a thunderstorm.

Peter woke up and turned on his phone. As expected, he was met with a barrage of texts from MJ and Ned. Some were angry (MJ in particular had threatened to "disembowel that capitalist weapons-pushing pig."), some were sad ("its ur BIRTHDAY, man!") and a few were worried. ("R u sure this internship is good 4 u?")

Of course he's sure. The internship is great! He's learning so much and Mr. Stark's a genius! He gets to see the Avengers and go on missions and it's everything he's ever wanted since he became Spider-Man. If he has to deal with Mr. Stark being in a shit mood for a few weeks, or hell, even if this is Mr. Stark's true state, then fine. It's worth it.

It has to be.

Peter doesn't even bother trying to suit up and sling his way over to the Tower before his work day is supposed to start. He takes the subway and huddles under his rainproof hoodie as he exits the stairs and walks the block and a half to the building. He's cold and tired. And honestly just wishes he could use the "I'm sick" as an excuse for not showing, but that won't work because Mr. Stark knows all about Peter's healing factor and the fact that Peter hasn't been sick _once_ since that damn bite four years ago.

Except he's Peter Parker and his uncle Ben had taught him better. "You don't run, Peter," he had said. "To bad weather, good face." Then his uncle had chuckled. "At least, that's what Carmen at the office likes to say." He'd laid a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Whatever your problems are, you need to face them. That's how you grow."

So here Peter is, shucking his hoodie off and storing it in his locker, ready for another day of walking on egg shells. He's determined to make it a good day. He's determined to not screw up.

Three hours in and it's one of the worst days of his life.

Mr. Stark fixes him with a glare.

He hasn't seen the man since arriving and now Mr. Stark's striding into the lab looking at Peter much like he did _that_ day.

_He'd been alone on the Brooklyn Bridge, trying desperately to keep two buses from plummeting into the icy January water._

_The Legion Suits had actually shown up, along with the other Avengers, and had relocated the buses to safe streets near hospitals. And Mr. Stark's voice had come on in his suit telling him to get his ass to the Tower. That day Mr. Stark had laid into him, took his suit away. It was the second worst day of his life, after the day Uncle Ben had been shot in front of him. It had almost broke him._

But he'd managed to take down the Kingpin anyways, without a fancy suit. Just him, his hoodie and goggles, and web shooters he'd cobbled over a few days during chemistry. Just him, Peter Parker. A friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. A teenager the Avengers barely seemed to tolerate.

Sure, a building had collapsed on him and now he _really_ doesn't like small, compressed spaces. And there are nightmares from that night, which he's convinced Aunt May are from losing Uncle Ben. But he'd survived and now Kingpin was behind bars. The Avengers even invited him to join on an as-needed basis. They weren't the most patient group, but he idolized them.

Mr. Stark had told him he was proud of him, given him a new, improved suit.

Hearing that Mr. Stark was proud of him was one of the greatest moments in his life, no matter what he'd had to go through to hear it.

And now that terrible look is back and once again directed at him. It's even worse given just how wrecked Mr. Stark appears. Had the man even slept in the past three days? Just how long was he going to be stressed like this? He's snapped out of his musings at the bite in Mr. Stark's voice.

"Wanna explain why Clint doesn't have his new arrow heads? It's been three weeks, kid."

Peter's mind blanks. Then a sick, sinking feeling stirs in him. He'd forgotten? He checks his email and sure enough, it's all typed out but he hadn't... he'd _forgotten_. "I d-didn't, I forgot..." he stammers.

"Yeah, I checked. You didn't send it. What the hell, kid?" Mr. Stark asks. "Is this some kind of game to you?"

"N-no, I swear it's not, I just-"

Mr. Stark stares him down. "Get out of here. Go home." He snaps his fingers when Peter stands, shocked. "I mean it, scram. I can't deal with you right now."

Peter grabs all of his stuff, relieved to see his suit is still in his backpack. At least Mr. Stark isn't taking it away from him. He braves looking at Mr. Stark. The man isn't even facing him, already back at his work station, looking through files that were encrypted unless one was wearing Mr. Stark's glasses. "M-Mr. Stark? When should I come back?"

"I'll let you know."

Peter leaves the Tower, the metaphorical tail tucked between his legs. He feels angry, sad, frustrated, ashamed, so many different emotions - all of which are horrible. He wants to sink down in a dark alley and just cry. So that's what he does.

He doesn't even process the lefts and rights his feet take until he finds an alley that his spidey-senses tell him is suitable. He ducks in and just falls to his knees. He's screwed everything up. He's going to lose his internship and get booted from the Avengers. He hadn't done a good enough job on Sam's wings. He'd completely forgotten to send Clint that message about the arrow heads. And Mr. Stark hates him, can't even stand to be around him.

That's what hurts the most.

Tony Stark, his mentor, the person he looked up to most in the world, wants nothing to do with him.

He's not smart enough. He's not good enough.

He's just a dumb kid from Queens with no business trying to be a hero.

Peter doesn't know how long he sits in that alley, in the pouring rain, crying. He knows he's going to have to pick himself up eventually and talk to May about what's happened. He looks up. _To bad weather, good face._

Then his spidey-senses start _freaking. out._ He feels like his mind is on fire; something is _wrong_. And not wrong as in a mugging or a cat stuck up in a tree. No, this is... this is worse. All of the hair on his body is standing up and with a quick look around to ensure no one can see him, he strips and pulls on the suit. He shoves his clothes into his backpack and hides it behind the dumpster.

He starts climbing the building he'd been sitting against and then a strange sort of crackling rips through the air. Some kind of golden circle - portal? - thing opens and he thinks he's seen it before from that one doctor dude that Mr. Stark didn't like. It fizzles in and out of his vision before it pulls him in.

Then he's falling.

He's falling and it's dark and terrifying and all he can think is "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark."


	2. Forced Perspective

**Chapter 2 - Forced Perspective**

* * *

When Pepper returns, Tony has a quick hand-off meeting (where he's able assure Pepper that no, he didn't tank the company, yes, that acquisition went through, and hey, the building's even still standing) and then she sends him home because "Tony, you look worse than when you came back from Afghanistan. Get. Some. Sleep."

He goes to his penthouse, orders JARVIS to lock everything down and inform the others that he'll be back in a week.

And he sleeps. He sleeps for almost the entire week, waking only to hydrate, eat a bowl of cereal, or relieve himself. He doesn't dream, just sleeps deeply, dead to the world around him. When he wakes up on that Sunday, he stretches out and groans. He'd needed that, needed the sleep. He'd been so tired, so out of it, so damn stressed and worried that he was going to fuck everything up. But he'd pulled through and Pepper was back, and Tony could get back to his normal all-hours-of-the-day jobs as mad inventor and Avenger.

He takes the longest, hottest shower he's had in recent memory and spends a good amount of time fixing up his facial hair because - yikes. He's going to need a haircut, too. And a decent meal or twelve.

The past month (and to be fair, give a few days) has been such a blur, he can hardly remember anything. Which isn't entirely unusual. Bruce has theorized that it's Tony's mind's way of protecting him since it hadn't done so back when he'd been abducted by terrorists. Tony gets overloaded by stress and his brain stops actively recording what he's doing until his body and mind have had a chance to recover.

The team is usually pretty good at filling him in on what he's missed. He then has to dream up some extra-cool tech for them as apologies for being a dick, but he does it mostly without much complaining. They've all adjusted.

He leaves the Tower to get a haircut at a barber shop that would have had the blood draining from Howard's face if he ever saw his son in one. He chats idly with the barber, tips him an obscene amount, and wanders back home to just relax before ordering in his favorite cheeseburger. He'll have a chill Sunday night before heading down into the lab on Monday morning to get ready and surprise Peter with the new suit he's been working on.

* * *

Tony ambles down the lab on Monday morning after eating a nice breakfast with the team who were visibly relieved to see him back to normal. Wilson's made pancakes and bacon and Tony finds himself serving up coffee for everyone. He hasn't had a proper breakfast in what feels like forever and he even makes up a plate of bacon and fruit that he knows Peter will devour once he bounces into the lab in that adorable way he has.

He's glad he has someone in the lab he can trust while he's on one of his little benders. Bruce has flat-out refused to do it again, and even Scott, with his master’s in electrical engineering from CIT turns down the chance to work with Tony in the lab whenever Pepper's out. Techs don't have clearance to Avengers projects.

He pulls up the designs for the new suit he's been working on since he'd worked out the kinks in the nanites; Tony himself can deal with wearing prototypes, but there's no way in hell he will ever make Peter a suit that's less than 100% reliable. If something happened to him because Tony didn't take the time to perfect the tech… well, Tony wouldn't be able to live with himself.

He snoops into Peter's files and sees that the kid has managed to design web shooters that will be perfect to wear with a nano-tech suit. The kid's already figured out that the web fluid is incompatible with the nanite compression and expansion and started problem solving. Tony grins widely; Peter's a genius. Tony can't wait to help him build the bracelets that will mask the shooters.

When 10am rolls around though, Peter doesn't show. 10:30am passes, no Peter. 11am, 11:30am, Noon. Still no sign of his favorite intern.

"Hey JARVIS, does Peter have the day off?" Maybe he'd taken a personal day? Wasn't his birthday soon?

_Mr. Parker is not officially marked as off today._

"What do you mean officially?"

_You have given Mr. Parker instructions to vacate the lab and that you would let him know when to return to work._

"I sent him on vacation?" Tony asks. Did he send the kid to Vegas for a week?

_You did not._

"Call Peter." He sits back in his chair. Something isn't settling right with him. "J?"

_Hey, this is Peter. Sorry you missed me! Leave a message!_

"Hey, Peter, it's after noon on Monday and I haven't heard from you. You doing okay? Call me back." Tony considers his options. Then he winces and bites the bullet. "J, call May Parker." He waits for the call to connect. "Hello, Peter's Favorite Aunt!"

_Mr. Stark, is Peter okay? I haven't heard from him all week and I know I can't have updates while he's on missions with you guys but he's only 18 and what the fuck is going on?_

Tony sits up slowly. "What do you mean you haven't heard from him? There isn't a mission going on right now."

_He didn't come home the day after his birthday. I asked Ned and Ned said Peter had texted to say Avengers stuff had come up. It's been a week, Stark!_

Tony mutes his audio.

"J, start looking for Peter. Traffic cams, CCTV, security footage from every damn building in the city. Find him." He enables the audio. "I'll get a hold of him, Ms. Parker. He's probably crashed out in one of the spare bedrooms here after staying up until 4am." Yes, he's lying out his ass, but May Parker is terrifying.

May starts in on him again with an influx of profanities and threats that is truly impressive before he ends the call.

"J, tell me you've found him."

_The last footage I have been able to find was over a week ago on August 11th._

There's footage from multiple cameras showing a blank-looking Peter making his way through the city in pouring rain. He stops and ducks into an alley. He doesn't emerge.

"Has the suit been active? Pull up the last footage from the suit." He activates his own suit, intent on flying to that alley, hoping to find... he doesn't know. Because Peter didn't come back from that alley, not unless he crawled up the walls and left that way. But then JARVIS would have seen, right? Peter has to be okay; he wouldn't just disappear with no warning. And Tony can't bring himself to contemplate the worst-case scenario. He just can't.

Footage from Karen pops up on his HUD as he exits his building, location of the alley in his mind. The feed shows that the date is August 11th. It's pouring, and Peter is looking around wildly the way he does his senses are going nuts. He makes out the backpack that Peter throws behind the dumpster and Peter's ascent of the wall. Then Tony can see and hear the same sort of fizzle that accompanies the damn portals that Dr. Strange is so fond of using. Then it encompasses Peter and the feed dies.

When Tony arrives in the alley, he checks the dumpster and sees that the backpack is still there. The Stark Phone he'd given Peter is shut off. He looks around, but it's no use. Portals left no evidence.

"J, call Cap." He flies back to the tower, backpack in hand.

_Tony? What's going on?_

"I need you to call in Strange. He won't take my calls after our last little meeting."

_Is there a threat?_

Tony imagines Steve with ears perked and head cocked like a damn dog who heard a suspicious leaf blowing by. "I don't know. All I know is that footage from Peter's suit shows that he disappeared into a portal just like the ones that Strange conjures. It's from the 11th of this month and his Aunt just ripped me a new one because she hasn't seen him."

_Parker's missing?_

"As far as I can tell," Tony answers quietly. What had upset Peter so much that day? "Just get a hold of Strange and I'll meet up with you guys once I look into something."

Tony approaches the windows to his penthouse which let him in. The suit returns to its housing once he's inside and Tony locks the place down. "JARVIS start running footage from the lab starting the day after Pepper left."

There's a pause. And then,

_Sir, are you sure you want to see?_

No, no he's not. Because the sick feeling in his stomach tells him that he's the reason Peter's gone missing.

"Roll it with audio before I replace you with FRIDAY." He settles on his couch and forces himself to face the music.

_Peter, bounding into the lab, carefree and excited like he is nearly every day. His cheerful greeting, only returned with Tony's "hey." Tony telling him to quit breathing down his neck; the nanites had been reacting to whatever strange voodoo stuff Strange had flung at him the week before. Tony snapping at him to keep the noise down when the kid had just been snapping his fingers as he sometimes did while thinking._

_Tony getting called out on a mission by Cap and leaving without a word. Peter not leaving the lab until 2am when he noticed that Tony was gone._

It continues on, day by day.

_Days where Tony doesn't speak to him at all. Days where when he does speak to Peter, it's to criticize or snap at him. As the days progress Peter changes. He's no longer an eager bundle of energy... he's timid, keeping his shoulders hunched as if to make himself smaller and protect himself. When he can bring himself to ask Tony a question his voice is quiet and hesitant._

_Then one day Peter comes in an hour early - looking like he hadn't slept the night before. Tony had an SSP in one ear._ (And he can actually remember the conversation he'd been having with one of his lead engineers, who was running behind on a multi-million dollar water-cleaning project, making excuse after excuse that Tony wasn't in the mood to hear. Had the kid thought he was yelling at _him_? From the footage, yeah, he had. And Tony can't blame him.) _Peter tells Tony that his suit needs fixing because part of a collapsing building had hit him._ Oh god, how had Tony not sent him straight to medical? _And Tony starts in about being careful and tells the kid he'd fix what he'd broke_ (Ouch, Tony.) _and leaves for a meeting with his engineering team, returning hours later and tries to work before losing his temper and_ throwing _a solder iron across the room. Peter actually_ flinches.

Tony wants to throw up, immediately transported back to a time when Howard had thrown a wrench at a six-year-old Tony's direction. "J, pull footage from behind Peter. What was he working on?"

_A message drafted to Clint about arrow heads._

Peter had been so shaken he'd forgotten.

"Keep it playing, normal angle."

_More days of Peter keeping to himself while Tony ranted and bit out orders and criticized. Peter never once complaining. The kid continued to withdraw into himself, occasionally glancing longingly at the SSP's Tony chewed him out for wearing when he hadn't answered Tony's barely audible question on the first go-round._

_He sees the day where Dum-E is leaving the lab and Peter barely misses him, falling into the doorway with a groan._

_"Okay, at this point I want you barely seen and definitely not heard!" Tony snaps._

Tony hangs his head. How had he let it get that bad? Why hadn't Peter said anything? The kid could have told Rhodey or Bruce or hell, even _Steve_ , and Tony's stress-induced asshatery would have come to an abrupt stop. "Keep playing." He sees the date on the footage starting back up - August 10th - and he does end up racing to the bathroom to be sick. When he finishes emptying the contents of his stomach, he goes to wash his face. He looks in the mirror and for more than just a moment, he sees Howard Stark.

It's with self-hatred that he forces himself back to his couch to watch that day's footage.

 _Peter ambles in in a good mood - an hour early, covertly slipping in an SSP to check on his phone._ JARVIS mirrors the Stark Phone's screen. _Peter's friends were going to treat him to dinner and a show with a comedian they all enjoyed. Peter was so excited, had been looking forward to it for weeks. When 6 pm came around, Peter started packing up his things only to be stopped by Tony._

Of course, the kid turning 18 is more important than a few superfluous tweaks to Nat's bites! How the fuck could Tony have forgotten? How had he not thrown together an epic party or gift? Vegas or Cabo or even taking Peter to his villa in Italy for the weekend of a lifetime!

_Peter assures him he had nothing important and JARVIS shows the message he'd sent to his friends before shutting his phone off. The kid works until nearly 3am before leaving the lab. Tony had left around 9pm and the kid had still stayed instead of trying to salvage what should have been the night of a lifetime._

Tony doubts that Natasha's visit, approval of the widow bites, and hair ruffle make up for missing out on a night with his friends, celebrating the start of his legal adulthood.

"How did I miss it?" Tony wonders aloud. "My 18th birthday was one of the craziest nights of my life! I would have fought like hell if I'd been expected to work on it." Why hadn't Peter argued with him?

_The next morning Peter manages to arrive on time while doing a poor impression of not being miserable. And he works on the web shooters he's been designing, the ones he'd need for when Tony gave him a nano-tech suit. He's making good progress, too. Until Tony comes in._

Tony wants to crawl into a dark hole and never come out when he sees the light disappear from Peter's eyes as Tony approaches him. He watches, horrified, as he just rips into Peter about Clint's arrow heads. That were a want-to-have, not a need-to-have. That he'd scared him into forgetting about.

_"Get out of here. Go home." He snaps his fingers at Peter like he's a dog. "I mean it, scram. I can't deal with you right now."_

_Peter scrambles to gather his things and looks minutely relieved that his suit is still in his backpack._

_Tony's turned back to work, encrypted schematics for Pietro's new tactical suit up._

_"M-Mr. Stark? When should I come back?"_

_"I'll let you know." He doesn't even look at Peter as he leaves._

JARVIS switches to the Tower cams, showing Peter's dazed, haunted-looking expression as he leaves.

"That's enough," Tony manages, voice weak. "Did the others manage to get a hold of Strange?"

_They have. They are waiting for your appearance in Conference Room Hulk._

Tony makes his way to the room, dread in every step. Peter's missing and it's all Tony's fault. Peter's missing because Tony had made him leave. Peter's missing because Tony fucked up. Peter's missing and Tony needs to find him because he has to make it right.

The team are talking quietly to themselves when he arrives. Strange doesn't look annoyed, which surprises him.

"Any word on Peter?" Steve asks.

Tony shakes his head. "All I have to go on is the footage of Peter getting sucked into one Gary Potter's magic loops."

Strange looks annoyed at that, which doesn't quite raise Tony's spirits, but doesn't hurt them, either.

"It's not one of mine." He moves his hands in the way he does, creating a series of globes mid-air. "There's been a tremendous amount of inter-dimensional entanglement in recent weeks," Strange says, as the globes he's conjured begin colliding and separating. "Something has weakened the barriers between realities."

"What could cause that kind of damage?" Sharon asks.

"Nothing good," Strange replies. "That portal wasn't mine, but it _was_ created by _a_ Dr. Strange."

"Wait, you mean like a you, but from another universe?" Sam asks.

Strange nods. "Without more data I can't determine why that me would have made a portal or why the reality barrier was so weak in that alleyway."

"This is all fascinating," Tony chimes in. "But we're currently missing our Spider and I'd very much like to get him back."

"What was he even doing in that alley?" Bruce asks. "He never leaves the lab so early, he's been putting in hours that mine and yours look healthy, Tony."

Tony figures he better come clean. Get it over with, like ripping off a bandage. "I kicked him out," he says. "I lost my temper and I kicked him out of the lab. He was in that alley way crying." He looked down. "It's my fault he's missing."

There's not the uproar from the team that Tony's been expecting. Instead they look like they've been expecting this. He's not sure whether to be offended on his behalf or on Peter's.

"It was going to happen eventually," Rhodey says. "Pete's a sensitive kid and you're you."

"You're not exactly, well, nice to the boy," Wanda agrees.

"You're harsher with him than any of us," Pietro adds.

"I'm surprised it took as long as it did, honestly," Steve says.

For long minutes Tony can't make himself form words. He shakes his head, incredulous. "You think I'd try to hurt him like that?"

"Not on purpose," Natasha clarifies. "But we all know how you get when you're under the kind of pressure you were last month."

"You know how I get, and you didn't think to check up on him?" He can't believe this. "JARVIS, show them the footage."

The footage plays and Tony forces himself not to go in search of a drink.

He can see the flinches of the team, the head-hanging as they watch just what Peter went through. They make it to Tony throwing the tool before Steve orders the footage to stop playing with an "Okay, we get it."

"Honestly, we were glad we weren't the ones who were dealing with it," Sam says. He doesn't look proud of that, but Tony appreciates that the man can at least be honest.

"He's a kid!" Tony cries.

"He wants to be an Avenger," Bruce says. "Learning to deal with our worst qualities is part of that. Maybe it's for the best. Not the being lost in a different reality but staying away from us."

"If he can't handle us at our worst," Bucky says, "then he shouldn't be around us." Pietro nods solemnly.

"When was the last time we forgot a birthday?" Tony questions them.

"We don't forget birthdays, Tony," Nat says, rolling her eyes. "JARVIS reminds us."

"We forgot Peter's," he says simply. "He turned 18 and none of us did a damn thing. Show them, J."

It plays for them, Peter's excitement to go out with his friends and then JARVIS adds in the message Tony received that day from Nat, asking about the upgrades to her widow’s bites, which Tony dumped on the kid. And then Peter's excuse to his friends and working past 2am.

The others start to look uncomfortable. "We'll make it up to him," Steve says. "He'll understand."

"No, he won't," comes a voice. May Parker is standing at the doorway to the conference room. Her eyes are red and she's shaking slightly. Tony checks his watch, and JARVIS, intuitive as ever, displays on the tiny screen that May had arrived several minutes ago. "Once you get him back - and you _will_ get him back, you're going to stay away from him. All of you."

"Ma'am-" Steve starts.

May stomps her foot. "Don't you 'Ma'am' me! He idolizes all of you. It never occurs to him to tell any of you no, especially you, Stark," she spits, turning from Steve to direct her glare at Tony. "And I wish he'd have picked his heroes with more care. You're not heroes. You're bullies, and Peter deserves better." May squares up with Tony. "Find my son, Stark. Or no tech, super soldiers, assassins, or whatever the fuck else you have in your corner will save you." She turns and stalks away.

The team sits in uncomfortable silence for what feels like hours.

"Do we have any idea of what reality Peter ended up in?" Hope asks.

Strange shakes his head. "He could be in another reality or he could be falling through the space-time-reality continuum for all of existence. I'll have to do some research."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Steve asks quietly. Tony can tell May's accusation - statement of fact, really - has hit him hard. Steve has always hated bullies; it was one of his amazing qualities that Tony's father never shut up about.

"I'll reach out to Fitz at SHIELD," Sharon says, leaning against Steve. "He's had the most experience in alternate realities not related to magic."

"And I'll talk to Hank and Mom," Hope says. "Mom spent a few years in the quantum realm, and she's good at navigating it whenever she goes back."

A hand settles on Tony's shoulder. "You weren't the only one that messed up, Tony," Rhodey says. "We all did. And we'll get him back. Whatever it takes."

Tony looks at the others. They're all nodding in agreement.

"Whatever it takes."

* * *

He's been falling, falling, falling for eternity. Sometimes it's slow as he falls, dizzying colors and spectrums passing around him. Other times the falling is a rush and he can't make anything out, just the knowledge his senses give him that he's never going to stop falling. He's stuck in this state of being, whatever it is.

He thinks of May, how she's going to be so sad, so alone. Peter's all she has and once again, it's his fault she's going to be heartbroken. She's been so good to him, the only mother he's ever really known and he's leaving her alone because he wasn't good enough, wasn't better, couldn't stop fucking up. He hopes Mr. Stark breaks the news to May gently.

Mr. Stark.

Mr. Stark's going to be so disappointed in him, which is the story of Peter's life. He knows Mr. Stark, though. The disappointment will morph into relief, with time. Mr. Stark - and the other Avengers - will move on, glad he's not around to throw them off their game anymore. He was never that big of a help to them anyways, only called in whenever Cap felt there was no other choice. They'll be better off without him.

Peter can fall like this until he dies from dehydration or starvation or maybe some kind of messed-up portal-aging. And when he's gone maybe he'll get to see Uncle Ben again and tell him how sorry he is. And maybe Uncle Ben will forgive him. Maybe when he's gone, somehow, he'll see May and Mr. Stark and MJ and Ned and they'll forgive him for not being there, for failing so badly.

He falls. He counts seconds which turn into minutes which turn into hours, then days, then weeks. He gives up on time because he's stuck, and he should have been better.

He deserves this.

Then a portal opens, and he falls through it.


	3. Over There (Part 1)

**Chapter 3 - Over There (Part 1)**

* * *

When the portal dumps Peter out, he's back in New York. He slings a web to the nearest building, letting himself take a moment to process the knowledge that he's finally stopped falling. He never thought he'd see the light of day again. But he's here and in New York. And yet-

His spidey-senses are going haywire. Something is _wrong_. He looks around and the billboards are off. Since when do the Knicks play hockey? And Andy Samberg is suddenly an action hero? On instinct, he jumps and webs to the right, narrowly avoiding a sick-looking blast by some kind of flying robot.

"Look out for the blasts, Newbie!" comes an achingly familiar voice, followed by the sound of repulsors he's heard hundreds upon hundreds of times. The source is flying around in a blue and silver suit.

"Mr. Stark!" he calls. _It has to be Mr. Stark, right? The voice..._ "What are we dealing with?" He flicks his wrist and changes the webbing to tase. He shoots off at the nearest bot which was firing up to hit Iron Man, sending it crashing down below.

"Doom Bots," the Iron Man answers. "And somehow these have been engineered by someone almost borderline competent." He blasts another bot. "Who are you, by the way?"

_Not his New York. Not his Mr. Stark._

"I'm Spider-Man," he says. "Where are the other Avengers?" _Are there other Avengers?_

"In Austria. We're on our own, Spidey." Right. Him and Iron Man. Even if it's not _his_ Iron Man, with great power and all that jazz. So he's going to fight. Of course he's going to fight.

Peter hits another bot that was aiming for Iron Man and wants to scream in frustration as Karen's HUD actually _buffers_. Sure, at least she's back online, but he could really use her full capabilities right now.

He climbs up to the roof of the building where he's stuck himself and closes his eyes, trying to re-calibrate. When he opens them, he studies the bots and zeroes in on the undercarriage of the one closest to him. He shoots a web at a sensitive looking panel and pulls it off. The bot drops through the air, exploding. He repeats the panel snatch on another bot and gets the same result.

"Mr. Stark!" he calls. "The panels on their undercarriages! Take off the panel and they'll self-destruct!"

"Thanks for the tip, Spidey!" Iron Man drops instantly to start taking advantage of the design flaw and Peter jumps down from building to building. Karen finally finishes her buffering and he sets his webs to a mass spread and creates as big a net as he can between the buildings. Then he webs as many bots as he can and once he's gotten a good number, he pulls as hard as he can and the bots just fall before exploding.

The net he's made contains the explosions to a point, keeping the people running below safe. Almost too late, he sees a blast about to hit Iron Man and he leaps to push him out of the way. Peter himself takes the brunt of the blasts as he's not quick enough to sling up and Karen's HUD goes dark, leaving him on his own.

"You brought a friend, Stark!" comes a heavily accented voice. "Who is this new player?" The voice belongs to some floating dude in a green hooded cape with a stupid looking metal mask.

"New player?" Iron Man scoffs. "This is the one and only Spider-Man! We go way back."

Peter just manages to keep from laughing.

"You are always a man who cannot fight battles for himself!"

"Says the idiot who can't do anything without poorly made robots!" Peter accuses, firing off a tasing web at the guy. The man yelps at the shock and struggles to stay airborne.

"Poorly made?" he scoffs. "Insolent Spider-Man! These bots represent my finest efforts!"

"And yet somehow you've yet to succeed," Peter snipes. He hears Iron Man snort from behind the armor.

"Face it, Vicky," Iron Man tells him. "Your bots are toast and you're outnumbered. Go back to Latveria and try again."

The supposed villain takes in the lack of viable Doom Bots and then casts a weary sort of look at Iron Man and then Peter. "This isn't over, Stark!" the man shouts, flying away. "I'll be back for you, Spider-Man!"

"Looking forward to it," Peter deadpans, completely unfazed. He starts webbing up the destroyed bots and hauling him up to the roof of the nearest building. No point in leaving dangerous tech around where this reality's Kingpin or equivalent villain could steal it. He sits on the roof while he's done, checking his web fluid (almost empty) and wishing he could ask Karen for a status report on the rest of the suit. He's going to have to find a way to fix her HUD.

"Want a lift to the Tower?"

Peter looks up to see the Other Mr. Stark hovering, face plate up. He looks so much younger than his Mr. Stark. Will this one even want him around? Can Peter really impose? But if there's a good place to start fixing up his suit and make more web fluid it's Avengers Tower. "If it's not too much trouble, sure."

"It's not trouble at all to help the newest mortal enemy of Victor Von Doom." The face plate comes down over a smirking face and Other Mr. Stark holds out his arms. "C'mon." Peter hesitates. "C'mon, Spidey, I promise not to drop you." So Peter jumps into Other Mr. Stark's arms and lets himself be carried.

The flight back is quick and the landing on the pad so familiar. Peter follows him inside, taking off his mask while Other Mr. Stark's suit retracts back into the nano housing.

"Nice work out there, by the way," Other Mr. Stark tells him, directing him to the elevator and asking for the penthouse. "Really saved my ass."

"It was nothing, Mr. Stark," Peter replies. _This Mr. Stark was going to actually let him up in the penthouse?_

"It wasn't," Other Mr. Stark insists. "You did great! Seriously, it took you all of a minute to find their weak spot. And call me Tony, please. Or Anthony, if calling me Tony is too weird. Anything is better than Mr. Stark. So," he turns to face Peter and then goes silent, staring at him for a few moments before continuing. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Since I was thirteen, so five years." It's hard to believe it's been that long.

Other Mr. Stark - Anthony, because he _can't_ call him Tony, he just can't - cocks his head. "How have we not noticed you for five years?"

Peter hesitates, because there's every chance Anthony will tell Peter he's crazy and not the Avengers' problem and then kick him out. "I uh, I don't think I'm actually supposed to be here. I fell through a portal. This isn't my New York City. But where I'm from, that you is also Iron Man."

Anthony is staring at him intently, as if he's some fascinating phenomenon to witness. It's nothing like the way his Mr. Stark would stare at him. "What's your name? For real, not the two-dimensional Hollywood-appointed one used to boost merch sales."

"I'm Peter. Peter Parker."

Anthony steps forward and holds out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Peter Parker. How do you feel about Thai? I'm starving."

Peter can't help but let out a nervous laugh as he shakes Anthony's hand. And it occurs to him he's done precious little laughing for the longest time. "I could do Thai." He hasn't eaten in _weeks_.

Anthony ushers him out of the elevator and into the coolest looking area he's ever seen.

* * *

Anthony Stark is a man who appreciates beautiful things; he always has been. Robots, scenery, art, women, men, technology, schematics... anything his brain registers as beauty. He doesn't apologize for it; why should he? And as a self-proclaimed lover of beautiful things, he feels qualified to say that nothing he's seen has ever come close to the perfection and beauty that is Peter Parker.

When Peter takes his mask off, revealing pale, dewy skin; wide, Bambi-like brown eyes; and a mop of brown curls that Anthony would sell his soul to be able to run his hands through, something sings through Anthony that he's never felt before in his 38 years. And when he's finally able to summon the brain power to continue speaking, he registers that Peter's said he's 18, and he knows he's going to hell for the mixture of heat and relief that he feels.

He's been watching Peter as the young man focuses on the menu JARVIS pulled up from Anthony's favorite Thai place for the better part of 30 minutes. His suit doesn't really hide anything, from the delicate slopes of his shoulders to his slim hips to his long, shapely legs. And his ass. The suit makes his ass look amazing. Peter looks up to see Anthony looking at him. Peter gestures sort of helplessly at the menu. "Something wrong?" Anthony asks. _Stop staring, Anthony._

"I'm just trying to figure out what to order," Peter says. He doesn't look at Anthony while he says it and everything about the young man's body language screams 'I'm lying.' "I don't usually get to choose what I want when I'm at the Tower. I try not to be picky; food's expensive." That _hadn't_ been a lie.

"I can always sell the fine silver." Anthony smiles to let Peter know he's joking. "Money is not an issue here, trust me. Want me to make it simple and order for us?"

Peter nods, blushing. _He's precious,_ Anthony thinks. "JARVIS, place the usual order and double it." When Peter looks at him like he's crazy, he merely grins.

_Very well, Sir._

"Why don't you take a shower while we wait on the food to arrive? I'll leave some spare clothes for you. I think Maximoff has some things that will fit well enough until we can get some clothes ordered for you."

"Which Maximoff?" Peter asks suspiciously.

Anthony waggles his brows. "What? You don't wanna rock a red corset?"

"I'd prefer not to," Peter shoots back.

"Go on, you know where the guest suite is."

"Um, I uh- I don't actually know. I've only ever been allowed in the common areas, you know, back home," Peter says.

So Anthony shows him to the guest suite, and makes sure to show Peter the manual controls of the shower. "Or just say hotter or colder. It's smart like that." He pulls a couple of towels out of the linen closet and drapes them over the towel warmer. "Trust me," he tells Peter after telling JARVIS to start the heating cycle. "It will change your life."

He leaves Peter to shower and goes down a few floors to raid Pietro's dressers, pulling out a pair of briefs, dark pajama pants that are going to need to be rolled up at the cuffs, and a long-sleeved tee that's inevitably going to swamp the young man. He leaves them on the bed in the guest suite. Peter's going to look like a dream, he thinks, before groaning quietly at the direction his thoughts have taken.

Anthony showers in his own bathroom. And if he happens to take himself in hand and stroke off to the recent memory of Peter slinging around in that tight suit, bending in ways that he hadn't known were possible, that's between him and his very, very loose conscience and absolutely no one needs to know. He tries to feel guilty; Peter is trapped in a different reality... but he can't. Anthony feels guilt for a lot of things, but for some reason, not this.

He calls Doctor Strange while he dresses (and tries - and fails - not to think about Peter doing the same thing a couple rooms down), only to be greeted by Wong. "The realities colliding? We're aware. Strange will be back in a month or so. Just keep the traveler safe for the time being."

Well, that answers that for now. Wong's efficient that way. Anthony's not sure how he's going to break the news to Peter, but he'll do his best to be gentle about it. He's gotten the impression that Peter's not used to gentle handling.

When Anthony finally decides on a shirt (that walks the line between trying too hard and not trying hard enough) and goes to check on Peter, he finds Peter waiting in the kitchen, soda in hand. Like he's predicted, the young man is swamped in Pietro's clothes. And like he's predicted, Peter looks like temptation personified. _Down, Anthony. The last thing Peter needs is to have you drooling over him._

"JARVIS says the food will be here in about 15 minutes."

Anthony nods and grabs a soda for himself. He'd much rather have a beer, but alcohol isn't the best idea at the moment. Anthony is far more self-aware than most people will ever realize.

"So, Peter, tell me about yourself," he prompts when they settle on the couch. Anthony forces himself to keep his distance. He wants to know _everything_ about this guy.

"I'm not very interesting," Peter offers shyly.

"You sling around in ways that defy the laws of physics and were able to take the brunt of a Doom Bot blast without a scratch," Anthony counters. "I'm getting the sense that that's just the tip of the iceberg that's Peter Parker."

"Well, uh, I was raised by my Aunt May and Uncle Ben, mostly. My parents died when I was three, in a car crash. I don't remember them much. May and Ben were great, though."

Anthony nods, encouraging. "How'd you get the super powers?"

"My freshman year of high school we had a field trip to a place called CrossCorp. We toured a lab where they were housing spiders that had been subjected to radiation. What we didn't know was that one was missing. Somehow it got free and bit me.

"I got really sick for a day or two and when I woke up, I felt amazing. Then I figured out that I was crazy strong and really fast. It was like every sense I had was dialed up to 11. The craziest part was that if something bad was happening or about to happen, I'd know."

Peter finishes his Pepsi.

"You just decided to help out all on your own?" Anthony asks. That kind of drive at 13 is almost unheard of.

"No, that came after my Uncle Ben died. There'd been a guy robbing a gas station, and I didn't stop him; it was a couple of days after the bite and I was freaking out. And then a couple of months later we had a break-in at our apartment. May was working at the hospital, and Ben and I were coming back from a movie. The burglar was the same guy who hit the gas station. He shot Ben in front of me."

Peter's eyes are glistening with tears and what Anthony recognizes as _shame_. "Ben used to tell me that with great power comes great responsibility. I should have stopped that guy that night at the gas station. And because I didn't, Ben died."

Anthony wants to interrupt, tell Peter that it _wasn't_ his fault, not in the slightest. But Peter looks like he needs to get this out.

"So I started researching spiders and that's how I got the idea to make the web fluid. It took me a few weeks to get it right; it's what I did in chemistry class when the teacher wasn't looking. I dumpster dove for the parts to build my web shooters and I threw together something to hide my face and keep my eyes safe while I slung around town."

He squares up his shoulders, wipes his eyes of the tears, and meets Anthony's gaze.

"I've been Spider-Man ever since."

Anthony can tell he's surprised Peter when he pulls him close and _hugs_ him. Anthony's attraction takes a back seat as the desire to just comfort Peter settles in. "It wasn't your fault, Peter. It wasn't your fault," he tells him. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"I could have stopped him and I didn't," Peter says with a sob. "I should have been better!"

"The hardest part about this life, this job we've taken on, is that we can't save everyone," Anthony says. "No matter how hard we try. And it hurts so much; it's supposed to. But we don't stop trying."

"But I-"

"Peter, you can't play the 'what-if' game, or the 'I should have' game. If you do it's going to eat away at you until there's nothing left and you're no use to anyone." Anthony looks him in the eyes. "Believe me, I know. You made a choice to do better, be better. That's all any of us can do."

He holds Peter until the young man calms down, rubbing his shoulders soothingly. He doesn't say anything else, just sits back and lets himself be okay with the silence, with making sure that Peter's okay.

_Sir, the food from Thai House 5 has arrived. Shall I dispatch one of the Marks to collect and bring it up?_

"That's why you're my main man, J," Anthony says. "I'm telling you, Peter, you're going to love it. Best chicken satay you'll ever have outside of actually going to Indonesia." He looks at Peter appraisingly. He wants to make the man smile, laugh, forget about his troubles for the time being. "We can go to Indonesia, if you want."

It works. Peter lets out a short, incredulous laugh. "Why would we go to Indonesia?"

"To get chicken satay," Anthony says, grinning.

Peter just laughs at the ridiculousness of the statement and Anthony waves the Mark 44 in, telling it to place all the food on the dining table. As it leaves, Peter tells it "thank you!" and Anthony just melts. He grabs plates, an assortment of serving ware, and a couple sets of forks, spoons, and knives.

Peter's unpacking the food before Anthony can even ask him to help. His eyes widen at the sheer amount of food that they've ordered and Anthony bites back a chuckle. "Double orders are pretty par for the course," he says. "Thor, Rogers, Barnes, Banner, and the Maximoffs have metabolisms that put professional athletes to shame. And I'm guessing you do, too."

Peter shrugs. "I eat what I can, but the amount of food it takes so I actually feel full is really expensive and my internship at SI is unpaid. I tried just eating pasta and rice, since they're so cheap, but it didn't work. Any leftovers I try to leave for May, since her hours are sporadic and she doesn't always feel up to cooking." Anthony wonders if Peter realizes just how much he's revealed about himself.

"Doesn't other me feed you?" Anthony frowns. "I mean, if I can manage a god and five enhanced super heroes surely I can manage you."

"I don't live at the Tower," Peter says. "I'm not technically an Avenger unless Captain Rogers decides they need me on a mission. The team eats together after missions, but Mr. Stark usually sends me home." He shrugs again and Anthony kind of wants to hit something at how easily Peter dismisses himself. He definitely wants to hit something at the knowledge that Other Him has Peter interning - for free. What the _fuck_?

"We'll get you on a tailored diet," Anthony tells him, spooning huge portions of cashew chicken and jasmine rice on Peter's plate before grabbing one of several chicken pad Thai containers for himself. "Banner and I put together meal plans for Maximoffs and it's helped them a lot."

Peter looks taken aback as he spreads peanut sauce on the fresh rolls he's claimed. "We don't even know how long I'll be here," he says. "Why would you go through all that trouble?"

Anthony looks at him; this isn't the time to tell the man what he'd learned from Wong. "It's not trouble, Peter." He bites back a sigh. "You're an Avenger while you're in this reality and we take care of our own." He opens up one of the containers of tom kha soup and hands it over to Peter. "Also, I expect you to eat until you're actually satisfied."

"Thanks," Peter says quietly, and, apparently taking Anthony's words as explicit permission, grabs several skewers of chicken satay to add to his already loaded plate. "I really appreciate it."

"All right, tell me about your world, Peter Parker," he says to change the subject, sensing that Peter was feeling overwhelmed by his concern. "Please tell me Aerosmith is a thing over there." He starts eating, tastes the peanut sauce and lime on the noodles and wants to groan in satisfaction.

"What's an Aerosmith?" Peter asks.

Anthony's face falls as he chews and Peter laughs. "I'm just messing with you," he says. "They're a thing. Do you guys have AC/DC? The band, not the currents."

Anthony nods. "Yeah, they had a few hits back in the day. What's the hockey like?"

Peter laughs. "Almost non-existent! The Knicks play basketball where I'm from. It's the biggest sport in the world."

Anthony looks perplexed. "Hockey isn't he biggest sport in the world? What kind of hell dimension have you been living in?"

"It's rough," Peter jokes, and then takes his first bite of the satay. Anthony watches him carefully, ready to suggest another dish if he ends up not liking it. "Okay," Peter says after swallowing, "this _is_ the best chicken satay I've ever had."

"Told you!"

As they eat, they continue to talk about their realities, exclaiming over the similarities and explaining differences while making up ridiculous reasons for why one event would have happened versus not happened.

Anthony learns that Peter's been awarded a full academic scholarship to his reality's NYU and plans to major in bio-chemical engineering. Some kid named Flash had taken great glee in taunting Peter because the funding came from the school itself and not Stark Industries. "It doesn't bother me, because it just means that I got in on my own achievements, right? I'd been accepted to MIT, too, but the team said it would be harder to get ahold of me in Boston." He also learns that Peter's trained in ballet but stopped after the spider bite and his uncle's death. "It was getting too expensive, anyway."

Anthony tells Peter about his time at MIT, how he'd nearly gotten expelled in the first week after building a robot that was, according to the Dean of Students, "Technically a weapon." Peter howls in laughter at the story and asks if Anthony had kept the robot. "Of course I still have him; I'd never abandon one of my own. Kill-R is down in the labs with Dum-E and U." He shares the story of how he and Rhodey met, how Rhodey had been annoyed at this 16 year old showing up to classes and making everyone, professors included, feeling like idiot children. "I wore him down, eventually," Anthony says with a fond smile. "He can't live without me."

"Would it be okay if I used one of your labs to fix my suit?" Peter asks. "Karen went off after the Doom Bot blasts and she was having problems running after I fell into the portal."

"Karen?"

"The AI in my suit," Peter explains. "Mr. Stark didn't want to give me full access to JARVIS so he built this AI for me. She reports pretty much everything back to Mr. Stark; he calls it the 'baby monitor' protocol." Peter rolls his eyes. "Oh, and at first there was the 'training wheels' protocol which wasn't at all condescending." His tone drifts towards bitter at the end and Anthony can't blame him.

"Do the others have AIs narc'ing on them, too?" Anthony asks.

"No, they can access JARVIS. They're real Avengers."

Anthony is trying to figure out just how in the hell Peter's not a "real" Avenger. He's _fought_ with Peter; Spider-Man is incredible. _Peter_ is incredible. "Well, my labs are always open to you. And JARVIS."

"Really?" Peter asks. "Just like that?"

"J, give Peter here the same access and rights as me, outside of the Core files."

_Very well. Mr. Parker, I am at your disposal._

"Say something to him," Anthony prompts. "Ask him anything."

"What do you like to do for fun, JARVIS?" Peter asks.

_There are several hackers within SHIELD that I enjoy shutting down on an almost-daily basis. I also spend time interfacing with my brothers._

"The bots Anthony built?"

_Yes._

"That's really nice," Peter tells JARVIS. He looks at Anthony, delighted.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you Peter Parker?" He grins. "I don't think anyone living here has ever asked J that before, have they, J?"

_They have not, Sir. Including yourself._

Anthony rolls his eyes. "Oh please, J, you know I love you." He looks at Peter, and asks more questions, prompting more discussion about the differences between their respective realities.

He's pleased to see that Peter's putting a good-sized dent in the food they'd ordered. It's an hour later when the young man finally declares himself full. He hasn't eaten as much as Thor would have, but definitely more than Rogers or the Maximoffs would have managed. One data point did not a baseline make, however, so Anthony is definitely going to have to talk with Bruce.

"Feeling all right?" he asks.

Peter nods happily. "I was falling for weeks after that portal pulled me in, so actually being able to eat is nice. And I hadn't eaten for a couple of days before that," he adds with a shrug that has Anthony wanting to gather him up and keep him in a safe place where he never has to worry about food again.

* * *

Peter's feeling more relaxed than he's felt in five years, if he's being honest with himself. The hot shower, soft and comfortable (albeit oversized) clothes, and delicious meal that actually sated his appetite were swirling around in a combination that makes him want to drift off to sleep. His spidey-senses have calmed down; nothing here is registering as a threat. And Anthony seems to be focused on making sure that Peter is as comfortable as possible. Peter noticed the way Anthony was adding food to Peter's plate when he thought he wasn't looking.

It's such a massive departure from how Mr. Stark usually is around him, back home. Anthony seems to hang onto his every word, giving Peter his undivided attention. He hasn't once rolled his eyes at Peter's interests like when he talked about the LEGO sets he and Ned liked to work on or when Peter mentioned the decathlon team. Anthony hasn't talked down to him.

"So," Anthony starts. "I need to get an uncomfortable question out of the way."

Peter looks up from where he's putting leftovers into one of the fridges. "What?"

"Can JARVIS do a body scan of you? He'll need it in order to buy you clothes."

"Oh, you don't have t-"

Anthony cuts him off. "It's cute how you think I'm in the habit of doing things I don't want to do. Seriously, Peter, it's not any trouble. Just some basic clothing for while you're here. And once we figure out how to get you back, we'll donate them, so you can't argue it's a waste of money."

Peter sighs. Anthony's effectively ended any argument that Peter could make. The clothes would be donated after... after he goes back to Mr. Stark and the Avengers and Aunt May. Something ugly roils in his gut and he shuts it down. "What do you need me to do?"

_I'll take your measurements during your next shower, if that is agreeable to you._

"In the shower?!"

_I assure you, it is not an audio-visual recording. I'll merely create a life-size projection for the measurement. No image of you will be transmitted or recorded._

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Peter finally agrees. His mind races, thinking about the shower's he's taken at the Tower in his reality. Had JARVIS recorded any of them there? Had anyone found out about the few times post-battle when he'd brought himself off to relieve the adrenaline and tension?

_I will be as unintruisive as possible._

"Thanks, JARVIS."

The leftovers put away, Anthony tells him to make himself comfortable in the living room. "Couch, chairs, doing that thing where you cling to walls, whatever. I'm going to make us something to drink."

Feeling like the smart-ass May knows him to be, Peter jumps up and flips so that his bare feet touch and stick to the very high ceiling. He gathers the shirt and tucks it into his pants. "I'm comfy," he shouts with a grin.

Anthony walks back in carrying two mugs. He looks around for Peter and when he looks up and sees him, laughs. "Good luck drinking this like that," he says, lifting up a mug. Peter drops abruptly, flipping to land at Anthony's feet in what he's seen the fan sites call the "superhero landing." He straightens up and takes the offered mug.

"How many times did you practice that landing?" Anthony asks.

"So many times," Peter admits. "Before _and_ after the bite. You?" There's no way Anthony hasn't, not when he knows for a fact Mr. Stark had.

"A lot," Anthony says, completely unembarrassed. "No reason why we can't look cool."

"Who the hell makes hot chocolate in August?" Peter asks, doing a pleased little dance in his seat on the couch after taking a sip.

"Okay, first, it's late July. And secondly, I do," Anthony says. "And don't call this masterpiece something as basic as hot chocolate. It's _cioccolotta calda_. My _bambinaia_ would make it for me at bedtime."

"It's tastes so good," Peter praises. "And it's cool enough in here that it works."

"I can always have J bump the temperature up," Anthony offers.

"No, it's okay. I'm always cold," Peter says. "Ever since the bite. It's easier in the winter; I like warm sweaters and socks. But if you wear them in the middle of summer, people look at you like you need professional help."

Anthony looks like he wants to push but doesn't. Peter's grateful; it's a lot, being the sole focus of the man's attention and concern. It's not a bad thing; it's just... different. He's not used to stupidly gorgeous men looking at him like he's some kind of precious wonder. And the thought that Anthony Stark of all people is doing the looking makes something heat inside him that he really hasn't felt since he was 15 and running around with... well, it's a foreign and familiar feeling.

Anthony calls up a service called _StarFlix_ and asks if he likes stand-up comedy.

"I love it!" Peter says enthusiastically.

"Let's see if this lady can make you laugh," Anthony suggests. "She's one of my favorites."

They drink their _cioccolotta calda_ and watch the special, laughing (hysterically at some of the edgier bits) and winding down from the hectic day. When the special finishes, Peter lets a long yawn despite his attempts to stifle it.

"What did you think?" Anthony asks.

"She was great! I was supposed to go and see a comedy show with my friends for my birthday."

"Did the show end up getting sold out?" Anthony asks. "Or did you miss it because of the portal?"

_Shit._

"No, uh, Mr. Stark needed me in the lab so I had to bail on Ned and MJ," Peter admits. "It was important though; tech for the team takes priority." At least that's what he'd told himself that night and while he was reflecting on life as he fell for eternity. "Any chance I can go to bed? I haven't slept in weeks and I'm exhausted."

"Of course," Anthony says. "You okay in what you're wearing or should I raid another Avenger's closet?"

"I'll be fine wearing these," Peter says. "They're super comfy." He walks with Anthony back to the kitchen and rinses out his empty mug. He tries to think of how phrase it and then just decides to say it bluntly.

"I know you keep telling me that it's not a big deal, having me here, but after getting pulled into that portal I was alone for weeks, maybe longer. So thank you, Anthony. I mean it." He doesn't look at him as he says it, doesn't know if he can handle the intent gaze of the other man.

Arms come around to hug him and Peter lets himself lean in and hug back. "You're welcome, Peter." When they finally pull apart, Anthony guides him back to the guest suite. "Get some sleep, okay? If you need me for anything, just ask JARVIS."

"Good night, Anthony."

* * *

Peter sleeping soundly in the guest bedroom of his penthouse, Anthony makes his way to his lab. It's not like he's going to be able to sleep anyway, with the day he's had. He can get some work done and hopefully sort through the thoughts that have been racing through his mind since a voice called out "Mr. Stark!" and asked what they were fighting.

"Hey JARVIS, Does Peter Parker exist in this universe?"

_Peter Benjamin Parker. Date of birth August 10th, 2000. Son of Richard and Mary Parker. Killed in vehicle collision on April 22, 2007. Surviving relative Benjamin Parker of South Queens, New York._

Anthony hangs his head. There's no guarantee that this world's Peter would have turned out anything like the young man he'd fought Doom Bots and eaten Thai food with. But still, such potential, gone. It was so senseless.

"Did you already get his measurements?" he asks. _Technically_ , he'd gotten permission. It was just after the fact.

_Yes, Sir, I have them. Shall I start putting together a wardrobe for Mr. Parker?_

"Yeah, good stuff, too. You know the places. Hold off on ordering until his next shower though, no need to be creepier than I've already been."

_You appear to be quite taken with Peter._

Anthony doesn't want to respond, and ends up getting saved by the team. A call comes in from Steve and Anthony has JARVIS connect him and ensure he's on speaker in the quinjet. "How's my favorite Star Spangled Man with a Plan?"

_We're on our way back. Anything pop up while we were gone?_

"Good Ol' Vicky decided to set another fleet of bots loose."

_Any casualties?_

"Not that JARVIS has been able to determine. I uh, I had some help in preventing them."

 _Please tell me the PSDNY didn't try to get involved again._ That was Wilson.

"No, someone like us. Well, like Rogers, Barnes, the Maximoffs, and Starr, mostly."

There's a cacophony of sound on the line and Anthony can make out Wanda, Bucky, and Ava before Steve manages to quiet them.

_Where are they?_

"Sleeping in my guest room. He's had a long day and was dead on his feet."

 _You brought a random enhanced into the Tower?_ Oh, Steve sounds upset.

"Yes, I brought someone into my home. Much like how I allow certain other people to stay here," Anthony reminds him tightly. ”I'm sending you guys the footage JARVIS has compiled of the fight. Look at the footage, Cap. This guy saved my life. He calls himself Spider-Man. I've never seen anything like him."

_What aren't you saying, Stark?_

"Aren't we beyond you attributing ulterior motives to me, Nat?"

_No._

"Spider-Man, Peter, he's from a different reality. He fell through a portal like the ones Strange uses. I reached out to the Sanctum and according to Wong, there's been some serious inter-dimensional activity between realities. Strange is going to be gone for at least a month as he assesses the damage."

 _How is this Peter holding up physically? Is his body compatible with our reality?_ Ava asks. She's no stranger to reality-related damages.

"He seems do be doing okay. Neither me or JARVIS have detected any kind of cellular decay." He sighs. "Look, Peter's stuck here for the time being. He knows his world's versions of us so he's comfortable at the Tower. I'm good with letting him stay until Strange finds a way to send him back. And honestly, I think he could use the time around us. Something about the way he talked about his life in that reality just rubs me the wrong way."

 _And is Peter okay with this?_ Steve asks.

"He is. Trust me, you guys are going to love him."

 _Alright, Stark,_ Steve says. _You're the boss. We'll see you in the morning._

"Can't wait." Anthony disconnects the call and picks up the suit that Peter gave him before he went to bed to see about fixing the damage. Other Him's design is clever, that's for sure. Strong and durable but able to bend and conform to the way Peter needed to move? Damn clever.

"J, can you interface with this suit at all?"

_I can access the suit but without the native AI I am unable to do much._

That settles it. Anthony will just have to design and create a better one. And have Peter, help him, obviously. Surely he'll have ideas on what he wants in a suit. And Anthony will make a point of including a "No Snitch" Protocol.

"Anthony?"

He looks up to see Peter hovering uncertainly in the doorway, like he's not sure he should be there. His posture is all wrong: shoulders hunched, head down. Nothing like how witty he'd been while fighting or how animated while discussing the apparent Multiverse over dinner. Anthony doesn't like it.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he asks. He holds up the mask he's looking at. "C'mon, if there's one thing I can do it's bore people to sleep while talking tech."

He sees Peter bite back a laugh and wants to frown. "Seriously, I need you to tell me if I'm going to mess this up or not." More waving of the Spider-Man mask. And okay, he wouldn't mess it up, because he's a genius, but he doesn't like seeing Peter so unsure.

Peter walks in slowly, looking around. "It's just like the lab at home, only different," he says. Then shakes his head. "Sorry, that was stupid."

Anthony laughs. "No, it makes sense actually. On some level, there's got to be similarities between me and the probably less impressive and cool Other Me."

"You're really okay with me being in here?" Peter waves his hand nervously, indicating the lab.

Anthony cocks his head. "Of course! Why wouldn't I want you in here?"

"Other you, he uh, kind of kicked me out of the lab before the portal thing happened. I mean, I get it," Peter rushes to add, when he sees the frown on Anthony's face. "I'm a lot to deal with. And he was under a lot of stress with Pepper being on vacation so he had to run the company and all the Avenging and equipment upgrades. I think the nanites got corrupted, too, and they've been his pet project for a while now."

Anthony sighs. "So he took that shit out on you? Yeah, that's not okay." What was Other Him's problem?

"He didn't mean anything by it," Peter repeats

"Who are you trying to convince?" Anthony asks. Because he knows his bad qualities - of which there are many. JARVIS keeps a running list. And maybe Other Him wasn't meaning to be an asshole, like Peter said. They'd known each other for far longer than Anthony's known Peter. Still... he's known Peter for less than a day and the thought of something hurting the young man makes him want to do violence.

Peter doesn’t answer. He instead picks up the mask and has JARVIS create a HUD for it that he can tinker with. His hands manipulate the display, adding in things and altering dimensions in a way that tells Anthony he’s done this many times before.

"So," Anthony says after they've worked in comfortable silence for a while. "What's your favorite Men In Black movie? Fair warning, if you say anything from the prequel trilogy, your opinion is null and void."

Peter looks intrigued. "Men In Black? I've never heard of them."

Anthony sits up straight, excited. "You'll love them! Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones work for a top secret agency protecting the Earth from aliens. There are the originals - the good ones. There's a prequel trilogy without them and with some random Cera guy, and they're frankly terrible. The new ones are pretty good but the most recent was questionable at best. I'm really hoping the next one fixes things."

Peter finds himself caught up in Anthony's enthusiasm. A movie marathon day is planned. "Seriously, most of the team will get in on it, even Cap. They're classics."

"That sounds nice," Peter agrees. Then it looks like reality sinks in for him, because his face falls. "How long can I stay here? I mean, surely you guys have better things to do than take in a Multiverse stray."

Anthony shakes his head. "No, we're all strays ourselves, basically. And you can stay here as long as you'd like. According to Wong, the good doctor is out for the next month, but we'll deal with him when the time comes." He sets his hand on Peter's shoulder and smiles when the young man looks up at him. "Don't worry about it. The team's gonna love you.”


	4. Over There (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is MASSIVE. The rest of the chapters probably aren't going to be this long, LOL.

**Chapter 4 - Over There (Part 2)**

* * *

Peter's not exactly sure just when he'd made it back to his bed, but as he wakes up and stretches, he's glad he had. Spider-Man or not, falling asleep hunched over a work table isn't comfortable.

_Good Morning, Mr. Parker._

"M-Morning, JARVIS," he manages before letting out a huge yawn.

_Sir has asked me to inform you that the Avengers will be returning from their mission in Austria within the next hour. Would you like for me to start running a shower?_

He showered the night before, but the idea of hot water sounds great, and since JARVIS does need to get his measurements and all...

"Yeah, that will work, thanks!"

He jumps out of bed - the most comfortable bed he's ever slept in - and smiles at the sound of the shower already running. He strips out of his borrowed clothes and folds them neatly on the counter. He'll have to thank Pietro, when he meets this one. He steps into the shower and lets the hot water hit his back. "Can you increase the water pressure?" he asks.

_I can. I can also cycle through settings to see if there is one you prefer._

"Yeah, do that last one, please!" This is the coolest shower ever. JARVIS cycles through eleven different settings until one has water shooting at him from all of the walls, causing Peter to let out a short moan. "This one, definitely." It's like the damn foam rolling his PE teacher always insisted upon, but actually pleasant. As the shower streams pound against him from shoulders to ankles, he can feel the tension and strain in all of his muscles melt away. After a few minutes he thinks he could turn into a puddle on the shower floor. "Hotter?" The temperature increases and he sighs. This is perfect. "Thank you, JARVIS."

_You are welcome, Mr. Parker._

He finishes up his shower, grabbing another heated towel. Anthony had been right; heated towels were life-changing. It's like being wrapped in a warm hug. He grabs his borrowed clothes and goes back into the bedroom to dress.

There are clothes waiting on the bed for him. Several pairs of pants, shirts, socks, and shoes. All brand new.

"You work fast, JARVIS," Peter says.

_I do, indeed._

He pulls on a pair of dark boxers and a pair of dark-wash jeans that are far softer than any denim has the right to be. They feel amazing. Of the several shirts he sees, he picks a blue cotton henley that settles over his skin like a dream. Wool blend socks grace his feet and the pair of sneakers makes him feel like he's walking on a cloud. Everything fits him perfectly.

_Is your clothing to your satisfaction?_

"Yeah, JARVIS, it's great! Thank you so much!"

_You are welcome, Mr. Parker._

"Where's Anthony?" His stomach is rumbling, and he hopes they can have breakfast together. There's so much about this reality he wants to learn while he's here. And... he's nervous, about meeting the Avengers from this place.

_Sir is currently in the communal kitchen. If you wish to step into the elevator, I will be happy to deliver you to the correct floor._

"That will be great, thanks! Hey, uh, JARVIS? Did Anthony get any sleep last night? I can't remember going to bed the second time, but I know it was really early this morning."

There's a long pause, as if JARVIS is considering his words.

_Sir carried you to your suite at 4 am before retiring himself. He slept for roughly four hours. It is currently 8:30 am._

"I didn't mean to keep him up," Peter says, as the elevator starts its descent.

 _On the contrary, had you not fallen asleep, Sir would have remained awake through the night. You have done him a favor._ There's another pause. _Thank you._

He enters the (mostly) familiar kitchen and smiles when Anthony turns around and leans back on the counter by the coffee maker. He's wearing in an Aerosmith t-shirt, arc reactor glowing underneath. "Good morning, Sunshine," he greets. "Clothes okay?"

"They fit perfectly." Seriously, like they've been tailored just for him. And he doesn't know how JARVIS did it but they _feel_ so good on his skin, which has been hyper-sensitive for five years.

"Good. We'll order you some more. Did the first night in the alt-verse treat you well?"

"Yeah," Peter says. "Nothing like staying up doing science until 4 in the morning before falling asleep on a cloud."

Anthony chuckles. "We made some good progress repairing the suit last night and I have JARVIS running diagnostics on Karen. I didn't know if you wanted see about making more web fluid today or not?"

"That'd be great!" Peter agrees. "I have some new formulas I'd like to try out."

"So, you nervous?" Anthony asks, looking at Peter over his mug of coffee. "About the whole team thing?"

"A little," he admits. "I don't want to be a bother to them, you know?"

"Not really," Anthony says. "I love bothering them." He fixes Peter with a look similar to the one he gave him the night before, when he'd said that for as long as Peter is in this reality, he's an Avenger; he's part of the team. "You have nothing to worry about, I promise."

_The Team has arrived, Sir. They are stopping at their quarters and will then be en route to your location._

Anthony claps a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Now, you have nothing to worry about, but, you know, brace yourself."

* * *

The Other Avengers are... awesome.

Sharon Carter is the first one into the kitchen. "Share-bear, this is Peter Parker," Anthony tells her. "Peter, I believe you're familiar with Sharon Carter, code named Agent 13. In this reality, she was one of SHIELD's top agents before we stole her."

Sharon coos over Peter - actually _coos_ \- and immediately starts pulling things out of the kitchen cabinets. "I'll make you breakfast. I'm guessing Tony hasn't fed you this morning?"

Peter shakes his head. "No, ma'am, I just woke up. But Anthony and I did eat dinner last night."

"Please," she says. "Call me Sharon." Then she eyes Anthony suspiciously. "It wasn't fast food, was it?"

"It was Thai, actually," Anthony says, rolling his eyes. "Like I'm going to invite someone over just to serve them fast food."

"Hmm," Sharon intones. "Well, Peter, is an omelet okay? What do you like in yours?"

Anthony leans down to mutter in Peter's ear. "You have no idea how hard it is to get this woman to cook. She's amazing, when she bothers."

Peter shrugs. "An omelet is fine, and anything inside is good... maybe lots of ham and definitely not spinach. I mean, if it's not too much trouble?" He winces at the request and looks up, hoping to have not offended.

"Warm greens are gross, right?" Sharon agrees. "There's fruit and yogurt in the fridge if you can't wait." Peter's hungry but doesn't want to impose. Anthony must see his glance at the fridge though, because he asks, "Cherry okay?" and retrieves him a yogurt cup and spoon at Peter's nod.

Steve Rogers is the next one in and immediately holds out his hand to Peter. The man gives him an approving look at the firmness of his handshake and his utmost appreciation for helping Anthony with the Doom Bots. "I saw the footage. You did good, Peter." Peter flushes at the praise.

"T-thanks, Captain Rogers," Peter says.

"Steve," the man insists. "We're not that formal here. Did you settle in okay?"

"Yeah, Anthony and I watched some stand-up and eventually we ended up working in the lab, so I was pretty tired when I went to bed." He smells the scents of cooking bacon and ham and his stomach rumbles.

"Oh great, we got another one." Peter looks over to see a smiling Rhodey walking in. He's looking at Peter with fondness, rather than the sort of distant exasperation Peter is used to. "It's hard enough to get Tony out of the lab."

"We were asleep before 4:30?" Peter offers, trying for a winning smile.

Rhodey laughs. "You're a miracle worker!"

"I wish I could take credit for it, but I was just tired. I mean, I was falling in that portal thing for weeks. And the night before it happened, I didn't sleep the best, so..." He trails off with a shrug.

"He's modest," Anthony chimes in from behind the kitchen counter, when Steve looks like the wants to ask more questions. (Much to Peter's relief.)

"Come sit down," Sharon tells Peter, setting down silver ware and a plate with the biggest omelet he's ever seen. Anthony brings over another plate loaded with bacon, fruit, and toast and sets it next to Sharon's creation. "What do you want to drink?" Anthony asks.

"Orange juice?" Anthony grins. "Coming right up."

His stomach rumbles again, loud enough for Steve to hear. "Go ahead and dig in, Peter. We don't usually wait around."

Peter starts to eat, nodding his thanks when Anthony brings over his juice. Anthony leans down to whisper, "Remember, you can eat as much as you want." By this time more people have come into the kitchen.

Natasha makes her way over to Peter and smiles. "Spider-Man, huh?"

He nods, in a hurry to swallow his food. "It seemed fitting, since it was a spider that bit me." He finds himself telling her about how he'd gotten the bite and the discovery of his new abilities in between bites of food.

"It's nice to have another spider on the team," she tells him. Then Nat motions over a very handsome and charming Bucky Barnes, complete with the metal arm that Peter proclaims as "so cool" which has Bucky blushing madly. Peter had never been allowed to comment on Bucky's arm back home.

"It's nice to meet you," Bucky says. "Feel up to pancakes?"

Peter looks to his plates, which are almost cleared, and catches Anthony's approving look. "If it's not too much trouble?"

Bucky shakes his head. "I'm making them anyways. I make the best pancakes."

"It's the only thing you _can_ make!" Steve jokes. "You're a one-trick pony, Buck."

Bucky scowls.

"Did you know that in Singapore there are food stalls that have Michelin star ratings? And the cooks have spent generations perfecting like, a single dish?" Peter offers. "At least in my world." Bucky shoots a triumphant look at Steve.

"Okay, I am definitely taking you to Indonesia," Anthony says with a grin.

"Why would you go to Indonesia?" Sharon asks, setting down two plates, each with a massive omelet before directing Steve to the chair opposite Peter and sitting down herself.

"To get chicken satay," Peter answers with a smirk at Anthony. Then his senses tingle and without looking he grabs a hand just before it can snatch the last piece of bacon from his plate. He looks up to see Pietro's shocked face.

"It's really hard to sneak up on me," he tells the man.

Pietro nods dumbly.

"What?" Clint asks with a laugh, striding in with Wanda. "You didn't see that coming?"

"I did not," Pietro admits.

"Thanks for the clothes last night. I have my own now, so I'll be sure to get them back to you."

"You are welcome," he says.

"This is kind of weird, right?" comes another voice. _Scott_. "I mean, not bad-weird, just weird. You know, because he knows all of us and we don't know him and there's apparently a multiverse out there that we know nothing about?" Scott, followed by Hope, ambles over to say hello and Peter can't help but laugh. He's always liked Scott, even if the man had kept his distance.

"We fight aliens, Scott," Hope counters. She smiles at Peter. "Just ignore him." She winks and Peter can feel the tips of his ears heating up. Hope's always been so _pretty_. And smart. And while she's always busy at Pym Tech, she's always been polite to him, back home.

Wanda comes over to say hello and welcome him to the madness. Then she drags Pietro off to start making their own breakfast rather than "stealing from a guest, really?" Peter giggles; he rarely got to see the twins so playful back home.

Anthony takes the empty seat next to him and hands Peter yet another plate - this one with a stack of four large pancakes, topped with a generous amount of melting butter. He has his own plate, with two pancakes. Before Peter can ask, Nat drops off a bottle of syrup and another plate with more bacon. Peter pours syrup all over his stack and slides the bottle over to Anthony. Then he digs in. Anthony, who was more judicious with his pouring, asks "Still doing alright there, Peter?"

Peter nods around a mouthful of the best pancakes he's ever had in his entire life. He washes it down with some orange juice. "I'm doing great!" Everything is so good and with everyone wandering around the kitchen, smiling at him and talking to him, he feels like he's part of the team.

Bruce, when he makes his appearance from the lab, is eager to talk Multiverse theory with Peter. He asks an endless stream of questions, which Peter answers to the best of his ability. Their conversation ends up being a lot more scientific and in-depth than the casual sort of pop-culture riffing he and Anthony had gotten into last night. Bruce also asks about himself, about the exact circumstances in which his double-life had started.

"I couldn't really tell you," Peter tells him. "We never talked all that much and he didn't like to talk about it with anyone." Bruce looks disappointed, and Peter wishes he had something more to offer him. Bruce goes back to asking about the multiverse, specifically what Peter saw and felt while he was falling.

Peter opens his mouth to answer, and then it's like his mind goes fuzzy. Darkness crawls in behind his eyes and then he's falling. He's falling and there are the colors he saw and the black just everywhere around him as far as he can see, and he was supposed to have stopped falling because he'd stopped and it's hard to breathe and-

"Peter." "Peter." "Peter!"

He comes to on a couch, in the communal living room, wincing at the harsh light.

"JARVIS, bring the lights down to 40%." _Anthony._

The world dims but doesn't go terrifyingly black. "What happened?" Peter asked. He sounds wrecked.

"You had a panic attack." _Sam_. "It's okay. You're here and grounded and safe."

Peter looks over at the man, trying to find comfort in his words, but he'd been _falling_ and he was supposed to have _stopped_ and-

A warm hand brushes across his forehead. "Take your time, Peter. Breathe. Just breathe in and breathe out." The voice is soothing and melodic, and Peter finds himself calming down. He's in the Tower. Anthony is with him. He's safe. He's not falling. He can breathe. "You're doing so well, Peter. Keep breathing for me, okay?" Peter nods and leans into the warm hand, eyes still closed. The breathing comes easier. In. Out. In. Out. Warmth all around him.

When he opens his eyes again, he sees the origin of the soothing voice. He's never seen her before, not in his world. She's pretty, with light green eyes and long, wavy dark hair. Her hand is still brushing back and forth on his forehead and he feels himself settle further. "You're new," he says. "I don't know you, back home."

"This is my girlfriend, Ava," Sam says proudly.

Ava rolls her eyes. "More like Sam is _my_ boyfriend. How are you feeling now?"

"Better," Peter answers as she moves her hand away. He misses the warmth. "A lot better."

"Has this happened before?" Sam asks.

"Yeah."

"Was it because of what Bruce triggered?"

Peter shakes his head. No, it was something else, something just as bad.

"Can you tell us?" Sam asks.

Peter looks over at Anthony. He doesn't want to say; he doesn't like to think of that night, of how scared and helpless he'd been. Sure, he'd made it out alive, but it was the closest to dying he's ever come. He'd been so weak. _No wonder they don't really want you on the team, back home,_ Peter tells himself.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Anthony says. "But if you do ever want to talk, we'll listen."

"I can't exactly treat team members, but if you want, I have some colleagues I trust who you could see." Sam holds his hands in a 'peace' gesture. "Just offering. It's completely up to you."

"I'll think about it," Peter lies. He'd rather face a dozen Kingpins than talk about that night.

He doesn't like therapists; hasn't for as long as he can remember. He was made to see them after his parents were killed. Dr. Miller had smelled like bitter coffee. Dr. Preston kept insisting Peter use dolls to communicate. The trips had finally stopped when he was 8. Then May had made appointments with a Dr. Noble (constantly covered in cat hair, breath like jerky) after Ben had been murdered in front of Peter. He'd seen that doctor for four sessions before he begged May to let him stop. He'd kept his grades up and avoided bullies like Flash and Skip the best he could. And May believed he was better.

"I'm sorry, Peter." He looks up to see Bruce hovering uncertainly back by the kitchen. "I got caught up and didn't think."

"Thanks," Peter says. "It's okay. I just don't want to talk about the falling."

"Okay, no talk about falling. Done," Anthony promises. "So. I know we talked about working in the lab today. What are you feeling up to?"

Peter thinks. He's not exactly out of commission without Karen working in the suit. But she's been the voice in his ear for almost 4 years. And without her... it's going to be weird. Making his web fluid would be a bit of familiarity. "Can we still work in the lab?"

There's a little cough. Bruce is still hanging back. "Dr. Palmer is wondering if Peter will be needing a physical."

Peter really doesn't want a physical. But he knows if he's going to fight with the Avengers, _be_ an Avenger himself, the medical staff will need the information. And he imagines it will be needed if Anthony still wants to put him on some kind of special meal plan. "Yeah, we can do that, too."

"You sure?" Anthony asks. "We can put it off."

He shrugs. "Might as well get it over with," he says, getting up. He pulls his shoes on.

"Would you mind if I went with you?" Ava asks. "I need to speak with Christine anyways."

"That would be nice," Peter says. Then quieter. "You're all so nice."

He walks out of the room, not seeing the look that Tony, Sam, Ava, and Bruce give each other.

* * *

Dr. Christine Palmer is apparently unfazed by anything. She doesn't bat an eye at the fact that Peter is from a different reality. Or the knowledge that he's enhanced. Or how Ava had walked _through_ the wall into the Tower medical wing. Ava gives Peter a smile. "They call me Ghost."

"Cool!" Peter whispers excitedly, looking at Anthony. "She's a ghost!"

Anthony smiles back at Peter. "She's pretty neat like that. I'm going to check with Dr. Cho on some things, and then I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Peter says. "I'll be fine."

"I can stay, if you'd like," Ava offers. "I won't be offended if you say no."

He considers. "Yeah, you can stay." He just feels safe around Ava.

"Alright then, Peter. I leave you in the best of hands." Anthony leaves and Ava takes up a seat in the corner, pulling out her Stark phone and presumably playing a game.

Christine shakes his hand after introducing herself. "This will be pretty routine; we just want to get a baseline before you start going out and putting yourself in danger officially," she says with a smirk.

She pulls up a holo display and begins the question and answer part of any new doctor's visit.

_Peter Parker. August 10th, 2000._

"Oh, you have a birthday coming up!" Christine notices. "Great!"

"I uh, I already had it," Peter says. "Back home. It's August already."

"Well, 18's a big year. You might as well celebrate it again," she offers with a smile.

They go through his medical history, what he knows of his family's medical history. He explains the spider bite, the illness shortly after, and the effects since.

She takes his vitals ("They're normal for me, now."), checks his reflexes ("I know, freaky fast."). Listens to his heart, his lungs. Checks around his liver for swelling. Looks in his ears.

"You've eaten today?" She asks.

"Yeah, they made me breakfast." And it's still crazy to think about. _Avengers_ made him breakfast. Him, Peter Parker. Like it was no big deal. _Maybe for them it's normal._

Christine nods. "Hmm, we need at least 8 hours fasting for labs. Are you comfortable doing that for tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I don't usually eat breakfast, so it won't bother me."

She fixes him with a stern look. "You shouldn't skip it."

"Most important meal of the day, I know," he mumbles, ducking his head.

"Okay. I think we have a good starting point here. We'll know more tomorrow, after we draw your labs. Is there anything you want to talk about, health-wise?"

Peter can't think of anything pressing. "No, I think I'm doing good," he says.

"Well then, you're free to swing about the Tower." She smiles at him. "It's very nice to meet you, Peter Parker." She looks at Ava. "I spoke with Janet; she'll be able to see you tomorrow, as well."

Ava beams. "Wonderful!" She stands and turns to Peter. "Shall we go hunt down Tony?"

"Huh?" It takes him a minute to realize who she's talking about. Because she means _Anthony_. Not Mr. Stark. "Oh, yeah."

"C'mon," Ava says, holding out her arm. "I love to have handsome men escorting me around." She winks at Peter and he can't help the flush that creeps up his neck.

"Oh, I uh, that's-" Ava giggles and hooks their arms. "You're precious," she says. "Absolutely precious."

Peter can tell he's beet red now, but honestly, he's kind of pleased. It's been a while since he's been the subject of harmless flirting and it's nice. Even if he hasn't really been that interested in anyone since his fling with- He shakes his head. Nope, he's not going to deal with that right now.

"Corrupting my spider, Ava?"

Anthony's striding towards them. "I'm sorry I didn't make it back. Helen and I got caught up in talking updates to the Cradle." He holds out his hand. "This is for you, by the way."

Peter takes what turns out to be a protein bar - chocolate and peanut butter flavor - and just stares at it.

"I figured you could use the energy," Anthony says. "And I promise, they actually taste good. I don't eat anything that doesn't." He looks at Ava. "You get things scheduled with Palmer?"

"Janet will be here tomorrow."

"Is she bringing Pym?" Anthony asks.

"I didn't ask," Ava replies, giving Anthony a look.

"That man is more paranoid than Fury," he mutters. "Okay," he says, clapping his hands together. "We got lab time until noon. Then we break for lunch. Then, I thought we might do a bit of sight-seeing, if you're up to it?"

Peter thinks it over. "Can we watch more stand-up tonight, then?"

"Of course!"

"And maybe talk about what you want to do for your birthday," Ava suggests. "Like Christine said, you may as well celebrate it again."

"I'll think about it," Peter lies. Because what's the point, really? It's just a birthday.

_I apologize for the interruption, Ms. Starr, but Mr. Lang and Ms. Maximoff are requesting your presence in the gaming room. It appears a neutral party is needed to officiate a Luigi Kart race._

Ava rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "I'll be right there." She turns to Peter, unhooking their arms. "I'll see you later, okay? It was lovely to meet you, Peter." She bends down to kiss his cheek, nods at Anthony, and then walks off.

"Look at you, making friends," Anthony teases.

Peter, again blushing furiously, busies himself with unwrapping and biting into the protein bar. It _does_ taste good. It tastes almost exactly like the Mars Peanut Butter Cups back home that he's so fond of.

"And look at you, trying to play it off," Anthony continues.

Peter tries - and fails - to muster up a glare. But the protein bar is delicious and satisfies the appetite he's so used to ignoring mid-morning. And they're walking towards the lab that, at least in his world, is a bio-chemical lab.

"So, this, as you might recall, if Other Me actually knows his stuff, is the bio-chemical lab," Anthony tells him.

"Yeah, it's the same back home," Peter says, striding in and taking in the set-up. "A few things are different, but it's basically the same." He goes to an empty workstation. "JARVIS, can I get a display?"

The display appears and Peter grabs a stylus. Anthony watches in fascination as Peter begins writing down a formula, noting the complexity of it. "JARVIS, do we have the necessary compounds for this?"

_We do indeed, Sir. I shall have one of the Marks deliver them to the lab upon completion of the formula._

"This is the basic formula," Peter says, still writing on the display. "I have a few different ones, some that dissolve in two hours, one that dissolves in 30 minutes, and one that can last up to five hours."

"And you figured these out when you were 13?" Anthony asks. "You're a genius, you know that?"

Peter blushes. "It's just chemistry," he says. "And the basic formula I figured out when I was 13. A couple of the others I didn't manage until I was 15."

"Okay," Anthony says. "This has got to stop."

Peter looks up, and Anthony wants to destroy something at the expression of worry and fear in his eyes.

"Look, you have _got_ to stop discounting yourself like this. You're smart, Peter, and it's not something you should ever have to hide or apologize for. Learn to take the compliments, okay? Part of life is owning your successes as much as your failures."

"I'm not supposed to show off," Peter says, voice quiet. He finishes the formula.

"There's a world of difference between being confident in your abilities and showing off," Anthony tells him. "And sometimes it's good to show off."

_Mark 46 is being dispatched with the compounds necessary for your web formula, Mr. Parker._

"The last time I tried to talk about my new formula, Bruce said a real scientist doesn't brag."

"Is everyone over there a complete asshole?" Anthony asks. What the _fuck_ is wrong with that reality? "Because that's the impression I keep getting."

"N-no, I, I just-" Peter looks torn. "They just... they're super heroes. They don't have time to put up with someone like me." He shrugs. (Anthony is starting to hate that shrug.)

"Is that what they said?" And what the hell does Peter mean, 'someone like him'?

"I can read the body language, the eye rolling. The tones they use whenever they answer a question I've asked. I'm a nerdy kid with a million and one questions about everything," Peter says. "And they... they don't have time for that. They shouldn't have to put up with me bothering them when they're trying to relax on their down time."

"You're not a kid," Anthony tells him. "And you should ask all the questions you can. If they-" he stops. He doesn't want to bad-mouth people that Peter obviously looks up to. But still... "If they think you're a bother, then that's their loss. You're brilliant."

Peter gives him a weak smile, like he doesn't quite believe him.

"Peter," Anthony says sternly. "You. Are. Brilliant. You were offered a full-ride to MIT! I'm pretty sure that doesn't just happen no matter what reality you're in."

"I know I'm smart," Peter says finally. "My IQ qualified me for Mensa before I was 10, but Ben and May didn't want me shipped off to some school for geniuses like Mensa required when they accepted children. Midtown was the most challenging school around and even then, it was too easy."

Anthony nods at that. He knows what that's like - to be so smart that everyone around can't deal; to get so bored because nothing's challenging enough. It had led him to develop some destructive habits, habits he'd started to pull back on after that fateful night in '91.

A suit comes in carrying a container with various materials and equipment in it. Peter takes the container with ease, even though it has to weigh well over eighty pounds. He thanks the suit - _Be still, my heart,_ Anthony thinks - and starts sorting.

"These other Avengers, do they even know what you're capable of?" Anthony asks. "What is their deal?" He's genuinely curious. Because his phone has been blown up with messages from _his_ Avengers informing him about how much they like Peter.

"When Mr. Stark found me, I was recovering stolen purses and helping old ladies across the street. Sometimes I could stop an ATM robbery or keep someone from getting hit by a car. And then all of a sudden, I'm needed to fight actual aliens with the Avengers. Mr. Stark had seen videos of me on VidTube and had made a suit just for me. I helped save the world. Then it was back to normal, like that alien war never happened."

"And you couldn't just go back to being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?" Anthony questions.

"I could, actually," Peter answers. "What I couldn't do was pretend like nothing had ever happened. Mr. Stark came up with the idea of a fake internship, so no one would ask why I would be called to the Tower. Then I found out about the protocols and Mr. Stark said it was a take-it-or-leave-it type of deal. So, I put up with it, because I was still able to help, you know? I _love_ being Spider-Man."

"What else?" Anthony asks. Call him pushy, but he needs to know. Too many things Peter's said - along with the way he's said them - has alarms going off in Anthony's mind.

"Life went on," Peter says. He adds some blue powder to a beaker, carefully stirring it into a white substance. "School kept me busy the next couple of years. The fake internship kept me even busier. But there was this bad guy hurting a lot of people around where I lived. He killed my-" Peter looks determinedly at the beakers he's handling. "He killed a guy I liked." _Ah,_ Anthony thinks.

"And you wanted to bring him down."

"Yeah," Peter says. "I wanted to make sure he couldn't hurt anyone else again."

He'd wanted _revenge_ , Anthony hears. "What did the others say?"

"That I was out of my depth; that I should just stick to tracking down stolen bikes. They wouldn't listen, no matter what information or evidence I brought them. None of them had showed the few times I'd called for help while tracking this guy and his dealings. I had to go it alone. That day, it was like he knew I would be coming. He'd had his people set off an explosion and all of a sudden, I was trying to keep two buses full of people from falling off Brooklyn Bridge. Then the Legion suits showed up along with the rest of the Avengers and all of the people were moved to safety. Mr. Stark called me back to the Tower."

Anthony's heart plummets. He _knows_ himself.

"He yelled at me for what felt like hours, saying I was a stupid kid and was going to get myself killed. He said the others had called him crazy for recruiting me and indulging in my antics. And he took the suit away. He said I obviously couldn't be trusted with it." Peter's eyes have a dead sort of look that makes Anthony want to hug the guy. _I_ love _being Spider-Man,_ he'd said. Losing that suit must have devastated him.

"They obviously thought that would be the end of it, but it wasn't over. I'd heard about Kingpin's upcoming plans from one of his guys on the bridge."

"You went after him," Anthony says. He picks up an empty beaker to give his hands something to do. There's a sick sort of anticipation in his gut, like he hasn't heard the worst of it.

Peter nods and checks the bubbling concoction before turning the heat down by four degrees. "I went after him in my old stuff. And I took him down. Strung him up for the police to find." He huffs a laugh that isn't really amused. "I got his building dropped on me for my troubles, but I put him away."

Anthony drops the empty beaker he'd been fiddling with. It shatters on the floor. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I got him," Peter repeats.

"No, I got that part. I'm talking about the part where a building fell on you." How is Peter still alive? He'd been _alone_.

"Oh, he'd rigged the place," Peter says. "And I happened to be in the basement when it came down. It took a few hours, but I managed to crawl out. I lost a lot of blood, and my suit was ripped to hell, but I got out."

"How can you be so calm about it?" Anthony questions. He's not calm, not at all, but the last thing Peter needs is for him to freak out. DUM-E enters the lab with a broom and a dust pan. He pets his bot, since he doesn't trust himself to not wrap Peter up in a hug and never let him go.

"I'm not," Peter says. "Not really. I still have nightmares about it. I was 15 and a crime lord tried to kill me multiple times. I have panic attacks if I get shoved into a locker because I'm claustrophobic now. But I can't undo it, and there's no point in bringing it up to-" he sighs. "It's over with."

"They don't know, do they? About the building collapsing on you?" And he hadn't had the suit; that AI of his wouldn't have known, wouldn't have been able to alert them. He'd been _alone_.

Peter shakes his head. "No, they don't. All they know is that a 15-year-old kid succeeded where the police and government agencies failed, without any kind of fancy Avenger tech or back-up. They called me to the Tower, after that. Mr. Stark said he was so proud of me, that I obviously had needed the tough love. It was one of the best moments of my entire life."

Anthony can imagine. The few times Howard Stark had ever praised him are burned into his memory. He'd _lived_ for those moments, _craved_ them. He'd wasted so much time wanting something that was less likely to happen than hell freezing over. But the validation, the rush of the praise... yeah, he gets it, can get why Peter would do everything he could to make sure not to rock the boat. Even if his Mr. Stark is a condescending douchebag. "Tough love?" Really? That "tough love" had led to Peter _having a building dropped on him_.

"Mr. Stark gave me a brand-new suit, without the training wheels protocol and the Avengers asked if I'd be open to an on-call type of deal until I graduated." Peter stirs the fluid in the beaker. The consistency has changed; it's sticking to the rod. "I said yes, obviously. Mr. Stark made the internship real and I've been trying to keep up with them ever since."

Studying Peter, Anthony can see just how much those events with that Kingpin guy must have aged him; taken a toll on him. Anthony's no stranger to that, either. He'd gone into that cave 30 years old and when managed to escape with his first suit of armor, he'd felt like he was 50.

"From everything I'm hearing," Anthony lifts his legs so DUM-E can sweep up the broken glass. "You were a hero long before they ever met you."

"I guess," Peter says. He pulls his web shooters out of his pockets and Anthony watches as Peter starts to refill them using a gauged compression gun. It's astonishing how much of the fluid he can fit into each of them.

He can tell he's not going to convince Peter of his worth so easily. But Athens wasn't built in a day, after all. Anthony has time. "So," he starts. "Word in the Tower is you got a birthday coming up."

"Technically," Peter admits. He's writing out another formula, which... _counteracts_ the original? "I mean, I already had a birthday, back home."

"Oh yeah," Anthony says. "What did you end up doing, since you couldn't go out with your friends? What amazing treat did Other Me cook up for you? You guys got Vegas there? Exclusive sports events? LEGO convention?" A Tony Stark would have made it up to Peter and in spectacular fashion.

Except, Peter's not looking at him. He's fiddling with his web shooters. _No. Oh no._ "I stayed late to finish Natasha's gear and started working ahead on some other stuff. I think it was like, 3 in the morning when I finally got home? Few hours’ sleep and then it was back to work. And Mr. Stark kicked me out of the lab that day."

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Anthony asks. He has ideas... so many ideas of what he'll do or say to his counterpart if he ever meets him.

"It was my fault, Anthony. I didn't get Clint's arrow heads done fast enough. I'd forgotten to send an update to Clint so he could come and test out the prototypes. And I hadn't figured out the compression tolerance web fluid for them yet."

"Peter, tech takes time. That's not even _close_ to being a valid reason for kicking you out! And I can't speak for your reality, but the team here? Unless the world was ending, we'd never expect you to miss your birthday. Especially not one as big as 18!"

"Tech for the team takes priority," Peter insists, with a fervor that tells Anthony the young man _needs_ to believe that.

"Really? Do they have to miss _their_ birthdays?"

Peter shrugs. (Yes, Anthony officially _hates_ that shrug.) "I don't know, but they're actual Avengers. I'm just, like, an intern."

 _No, Peter's an_ Avenger _they take advantage of,_ Anthony thinks. _An_ Avenger _they don't see the value of._ "Well, you're an Avenger here and we don't miss birthdays."

_Pardon the interruption, but it is now 12 pm and the team is requesting your presence in the communal kitchen. The caterers have arrived._

Anthony checks his watch. "Huh. Noon already." He looks at Peter. "Hungry?"

Peter, who isn't looking at him but is instead writing out yet another formula, shrugs. "Peter," he says with more force. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," he says, looking sheepish. "Sorry, I'm just used to not, you know, getting a lunch break. I'm okay to keep working!"

"Nope," Anthony tells him, popping the p. "Team Lunch Time is not optional. And then if you're up to it, we can explore the Big Cherry."

"The what?" Peter has such a look of confusion on his face that it's hilarious.

"New York City? The Big Cherry? First coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his classic _The Other Side of Paradise_?"

"Oh," Peter says. He looks like he's considering. "We call it the Big Apple, back home. I don't exactly know why. I don't think anyone does. Hey, Anthony?"

Anthony looks back at Peter. "Yeah?

"Is there any way we can we put off the exploring until tomorrow? I think I'd like to just stay in, today. I'm so tired."

"Of course," Anthony agrees. Peter _does_ look exhausted. He keeps a smile on his face but inwardly frowns. He hadn't meant to wear Peter out; they'd just been connecting so well, and Peter had seemed to need to talk about everything. "There's no rush. We'll have lunch and then you can rest until dinner, if you'd like. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Anthony makes a show of fiddling on his phone as he and Peter make their way back to the kitchen of the Tower - "No rest for the wicked." - but he's actually sending out a mass text to the team.

_**Upcoming Mission: Because our doppelgängers suck, Peter didn't get to celebrate his 18th birthday. We're going to fix that on August 10th. Start brainstorming.** _

* * *

Peter doesn't mean to burden Anthony like this. He really doesn't. But the man looks at him with such understanding and fondness that Peter forgets himself. And he's kept everything about that mess with Kingpin to himself for _so. long._ It feels good to talk about it, surprisingly.

But... Anthony's not his therapist and surely has a million things he'd rather be doing than listen to Peter gripe about how unfair his life is. So Peter will just have to watch himself, he decides.

He's exhausted from the emotional labor of it all. Everything came spilling out and it's like a small moon has lifted off his shoulders, one he hadn't been aware he was carrying. He feels light and worn down all at the same time and he's so grateful that he can sleep after lunch instead of going out exploring. He just has to make it through lunch, now.

Lunch ends up being just as delicious and enjoyable as breakfast had been, even if he's ready to fall asleep. Instead of the team making it for themselves, Anthony has it catered by an upscale cafe. Peter finds himself sitting between Pietro and Wanda who are celebrating trashing Scott soundly in that day's Luigi Cart race. Peter manages to laugh at Scott's lament that it's impossible to beat a witch, even with an impartial judge. The man throws a suspicious look at Ava, who just rolls her eyes and smirks at Peter.

Peter's not as hungry as he usually is around lunch time, and tiredly, he wonders if that's due to actually eating a filling breakfast and the protein bar mid-morning. He still manages to eat a massive salad, two whole sub sandwiches piled high with ham and swiss, and four obscenely large chocolate chip cookies. (Ava had slipped him two in addition to the two that Anthony had put on his plate.)

Across from Wanda, Anthony is deep in conversation with Steve and Sharon. Peter tunes out the words, choosing to focus instead on Scott's preferences for kart racing tracks. (There's an Avengers-themed course that Anthony had helped program. And an unlocked Avengers-themed course that was exclusive to the team.)

"You alright there, Peter?"

Peter looks up to see Nat giving him a concerned look. "Oh, yeah, I'm just-" he yawns. Long and loud. "I'm tired."

"Can you make it back to your room on your own?" Anthony asks, conversation with Sharon and Steve pushed to the side.

Peter nods. "Thanks though." He takes his dishes to the island and leave them with the others on the counter. "Hey Anthony? Wake me up for dinner?"

"Of course," Anthony tells him. "Get some rest. We'll all be here when you wake up."

* * *

Anthony feels like he's on pins and needles until JARVIS informs him that Peter's made it back to his room and is sleeping. "Keep an eye on him for me, will you, J?"

_Of course, Sir._

Anthony pushes his food back and just sighs. He hadn't meant to push him, he really hadn't. But so much of what Peter had told him was just...

"You okay there, Tones?"

Anthony looks over to see Rhodey staring at him intently.

"Yeah. I'm just really grateful for all of those anger-management courses Bruce dragged me to."

"Tony, those were yoga classes," Bruce says, exasperated.

"Yeah, but they had the breathing," Anthony counters. "Everything Peter tells me about that place is so wrong. I'm so angry for him and I don't know what to do."

"He's surprised," Bucky says. When Anthony gives him a look, he continues, "At our being nice to him. It surprises him."

"Because us back over there suck!" Anthony exclaims. "They don't care about him, at all! And the dickwad over there with my name is the worst one!"

Anthony - with some heavy editing - tells them Peter's story. All of them are looking various degrees of furious before he's even half-way through his recounting. "I don't know what to do," he finishes. "He's amazing and brilliant and thanks to those... _monsters_ he doesn't think he's worth anything."

"We'll fix it," Steve promises it. "For as long as he's here, we'll help him. Whatever it takes."

Scott raises his hand. "Scott, we're not in school," Bucky says. "You don't have to keep raising your hand."

"No, yeah, I know. But you wanted us to brainstorm ideas for Peter's birthday?"

"You got something, Pin-Size?"

"He said at breakfast he likes stand-up. StarFlix is going to have a few big names filming their specials in Vegas that weekend after the 10th. What if we took him?" Scott suggests.

"That could work," Anthony agrees. "Anyone else got anything?"

"Doesn't the owner of Cortexiphan owe you a favor?" Natasha asks.

"Are you suggesting we take Peter to the hottest and most exclusive night club in the country?" Anthony asks. "Because I can definitely call in that chip."

"I've reached out to my friend Charles over at the 99 in Brooklyn," Sharon says. "He gave me a list of restaurants we could treat Peter too."

"Any ideas of your own, 'Anthony'?" Sam asks, voice teasing.

Anthony rolls his eyes. "Yeah, actually. I think I have just the thing."

"Gonna share, Anthony?" Bruce teases.

"No, I don't think I will."

The team tosses around ideas, looking up restaurants from the list Sharon was given and crossing off ones they don't think Peter will like.

"We are not taking him to a place that serves anything called 'white ant egg risotto'," Sam exclaims.

"White ant eggs are actually pretty good," Bruce murmurs, much to Sam's disgust.

"This guy is the best you have?" Anthony asks Sharon. "Really?"

"Look, some of his stuff is out there, but Charles knows his food. He was turned away from Michelin for being 'too intense', okay?"

"Peter liked the Thai food?" Steve asks.

"Yeah, he did. But I'm thinking something a little more special. We can order Thai food any old night."

"And _you_ can go to any restaurant you want any old night," Rhodey reminds him. "What about this Korean barbecue place? It got three stars from that Michigan place."

"Michelin," corrects Anthony and Sharon in unison, both looking scandalized.

"Whatever," Rhodey says, exasperated.

An hour later, they have a game plan.

* * *

Peter is awake before Anthony goes to retrieve him for dinner. He's looking better, and even convinces Sam to let him help with the potato salad he's making though he's forbidden from touching the mac and cheese. Steve and Sharon are out on a balcony manning the grill and he can smell the steak and burgers as they cook, and Wanda has vegetables roasting in the oven. Hope and Scott join them, each carrying a large bowl of fruit salad. "Hope nixed the marshmallows," Scott tells Peter, contrite.

"Do you guys do this every night?" Peter asks, once they're all seated and eating.

"Not every night, no," Ava says. "But we try to eat together once or twice a week."

"Our floors all have kitchens in them," Nat explains. "But we like being around each other after missions. Hence the breakfast, lunch, and dinner today. Did you guys do that back in your world?"

Peter doesn't meet anyone's eyes, just focuses on his food and cutting his (medium-rare, much to Sharon's approval) steak. "I don't know," he says. "I wasn't invited to live with them. I know they eat together after missions, but Mr. Stark usually sends me back home to my aunt."

"Their food is probably terrible," Pietro says, before someone (or all of them) loses it and flips the table.

"Probably no idea how to season properly," Wanda adds in, having read her brother's mind.

"And they definitely don't know how to make really good southern food," Sam declares.

"I bet they're embarrassed to have anyone eat with them," Bruce says.

"They'd have to be," Sharon scoffs. "Palettes of five-year-olds."

Peter snorts in laughter and looks up at all of them. "One time I was allowed to join them, and they picked the worst pizza joint in the city," he admits.

"See?" Anthony exclaims. "We clearly have superior taste, just like you." He winks at Peter, who definitely does _not_ blush. (He does.)

Well-fed and very at peace with the world, Peter doesn't fight it when Anthony, Nat, and Bucky wave him off from the kitchen, so they clean up. "Whoever doesn't cook, cleans," Bucky tells him. "You helped cook, so you have a get-out-of-jail free card."

So, Peter just relaxes in the media room with the others, talking about movies and which ones are the same in both realities. Steve, like Anthony predicted the previous night, is eager to introduce Peter to the Men in Black movies. He pulls out his phone and shows Peter the list that he's added to and crossed off since waking up from the ice. "Might be a good starting point for you. I can send it to you, if you want."

"I don't actually have a phone. It was with my stuff before the whole portal thing happened," Peter says. "It probably got stolen, knowing my luck."

"Hey Peter, catch!" Peter looks up to see a small box flying at him. He catches it with ease. It's a phone.

"Newest model, just finished beta testing and moving into production," Anthony tells him. "It has all of our numbers, already."

"Anthony," Peter says, examining the phone, admiring the clean lines and elegance of it. "This is too much!"

"It's literally not," Anthony assures him. "Also, like most Team things, not optional. Enjoy."

Peter surprises them all by jumping up and hugging Anthony. "Thank you," he says. "This is the coolest phone I've ever had."

"You're welcome," Anthony tells him. He wishes he wasn't so taken aback at Peter's gratitude. "You up for some more StarFlix to continue your inter-reality education?"

Peter nods eagerly. "Yeah. Is it the same lady? Iliza?"

"She has a special from a couple years ago that are pretty good," Anthony says. "New one's supposed to come out later this year."

"What about Mulaney?" Scott offers.

"Or Davidson?" Pietro suggests.

"I'm down for whatever," Peter says. He looks at Anthony. "Same deal as last night?"

"Do you mind if I join?" Rhodey asks Peter. "It's nice to have a free night."

Peter looks to Anthony, who shrugs. "What do you say, Peter? Comedy Night in the media lounge?"

"Sure!" And he's glad it's in the media lounge. For some reason, he's started to consider the Penthouse as his and Anthony's. He likes knowing there's a retreat, where he can get away from it all.

"I'll get the snacks!" Scott declares. "Popcorn, soda, those little candy button things on the paper..."

"Don't forget the peanut butter cups," Wanda reminds him.

By the time they're all settled in the lounge (with Hope joining them), it's nearly 9 pm. Peter's sitting next to Anthony on one of the couches with a huge bowl of buttered popcorn between them. On a tray table in front of them are cans of Pepsi and rolls of button candy Peter's never seen before. And a large bag of peanut butter cups that, after tasting one, Peter knows he's going to have to exercise some self-control around.

Pietro and Wanda are curled up on another couch, kettle popcorn in hand and wrapped up in homemade throws from some of the softest material Peter's ever felt. They keep exchanging looks that tell Peter they're having a conversation the rest of them can't hear.

Rhodey is kicked back in a massive recliner with a beer in one hand and a tub of popcorn in the other. It's the most relaxed Peter has ever seen the man, in either reality. Peter hadn't thought the man knew _how_ to relax.

Hope and Scott are on the remaining couch, Hope leaning against Scott who has an arm draped over her shoulder. They look sweet together, Peter thinks. Scott makes sure Hope has her snacks and drink before settling with his own and Peter smiles at the easy intimacy they share.

Anthony tells JARVIS to pull up StarFlix and play a special called _Fire in the Intensive Care Unit_. The special starts, and soon Peter's gasping with laughter. He's a little horrified at how hilarious he finds the humor of the comedian, who delivers his bits in a slow, deadpan manner. The man's material is so dark, it's obvious it's a brilliant act. He looks cautiously around, but even Rhodey and Hope have tears of laughter in their eyes.

More than an hour later, Wanda asks if they're up for another. She has JARVIS play _Sparkle Room_ and the seven of them sit back and laugh their way through another hilarious show. Most of his laughter is at the comedian's jokes, and some of it is at the looks of slight unease the older men gathered have on their faces (and the satisfied vindication on Hope and Wanda's) when she makes a pointed observation about the state of gender equality.

Around 11:30 the others start to call it a night.

Rhodey is fast asleep in the recliner and Anthony mutters to Peter to leave him. "He's a nightmare if you wake him." Hope and Scott wish Peter and Anthony a good night, Scott yawning loudly as they walk off. Pietro picks up a half-asleep Wanda and with a nod of acknowledgment, speeds them out of the room.

"Ready for bed, Peter?" Anthony asks, gathering up the empty bowls of popcorn while Peter collects the empty cans. Peter tosses the cans into the recycling and goes back for the candy wrappers. He stumbles when he hears Anthony's question.

_That's not what he means, Peter, and you know it._

"Sure," he half-lies. He feels like he could sleep for a few days, honestly. But he doesn't want to leave Anthony. "Long day."

"Well, feel free to sleep in tomorrow," Anthony tells him. He motions Peter towards the elevator and follows him. "Team training won't start up again for another day, so you can do whatever you want tomorrow."

"I can work in the lab?" Peter asks, instantly.

"Yeah, of course," Anthony assures him as they ascend to the penthouse. "Full access, remember?"

Peter, tired though he is, smiles. "Yeah. Thank you so much. Not just for the lab access," he says, stepping out of the elevator. "But for everything."

Anthony puts a hand on Peter's shoulder. "You don't have to keep thanking me for all of this, Peter. I'm more than happy to help. You're in a tight spot and I can't even imagine what it's like to be stuck in a reality I'm not from. I just want you to be happy while you're here."

"But why?" Peter asks quietly.

"Because," Anthony says, looking at Peter so intently that Peter feels like the man is looking into his soul. "Because whether you believe it or not, you're worth it."

Anthony pulls Peter into a hug and Peter relaxes into it. He lets himself be held, clinging to Anthony like the man's his touch stone. When they break apart, finally, Anthony brushes a stray curl back behind Peter's ear. "Have a good night, Peter."

Peter makes his way to his room and readies himself for bed. The dresser drawers are now filled with clothing in Peter's sizes. The closet is filled as well. Peter puts his dirty clothes in the hamper and pulls on a pair of soft flannel pants. He puts his new phone on the night stand along with his web shooters. When he crawls into bed and cozies himself in the soft sheets and blankets, he closes his eyes and lets himself _want_.

Want _what_ , he's not exactly sure.

But he wants.


	5. A New Day in the Old Town

**Chapter 5 - A New Day in the Old Town**

* * *

The first thing Anthony does when he wakes up is ask JARVIS how Peter's doing.

_Mr. Parker left to run with Lieutenant Wilson and Captain Rogers at 6:30 this morning. They returned at 8 and escorted Mr. Parker to have his labs run with Dr. Palmer's assistant and are currently enjoying breakfast in the communal area with Sergeant Barnes._

"What time did he fall asleep?"

_My sensors indicate that he fell asleep at 2:21am._

Okay, not as much sleep as Anthony would prefer for him, but decent. And he was eating with a pair of super soldiers, so there would be plenty of food for him. And he knows Wilson will be keeping an eye on Peter, after his panic attack yesterday.

"What's the day look like, J?"

_After breakfast with Peter, there is team free time planned until noon, then lunch. On the Stark Industries front, the team supporting the Alchemax acquisition will be meeting from 2 to 4 pm. Ms. Potts has asked me to inform you that your attendance at said meeting is not optional. She has also asked to be introduced to Mr. Parker._

"Thanks for the rundown, J. And the reminders to eat."

_You are welcome._

"Keep my calendar clear after the Alchemax meeting. Peter and I had to take a rain check on Spidey's Day Out."

_Of course, Sir._

With a sigh, Anthony forces himself out of bed and into his bathroom. He once again fails to ignore his morning erection and brings himself off in the shower to the memory of the hug he'd shared with Peter last night. He comes embarrassingly fast and hurries the rest of his shower.

* * *

By the time he makes it to breakfast, the others are already done. But Peter stays to keep him company while he scrounges around for something that sounds appetizing. He settles for making French toast and programs the coffee maker for an espresso.

"Can I get one?" Peter asks.

"Sure," Anthony says, handing Peter the first little mug.

"Awesome." Peter puts it back like it's a shot.

"Easy there!" Anthony panics. "How's your throat? Do I need to take you to medical?"

Peter sets the mug down. "Nope," he says brightly. "Healing factor. I guess I'm just so used to sneaking it that I forgot myself there for a minute." And his voice sounds fine.

"Why would you have to sneak espresso?"

Peter shrugs. "Cap had read some article that excess caffeine was bad for children. So, the coffee maker had me locked out."

Anthony just shakes his head. _Idiots._ "Did you sleep okay?"

Peter nods and pulls out a package of bacon.

"Are you still hungry, Peter?"

"Kind of," Peter says truthfully as he locates one of the many sheet plans. "But mostly you need more protein than Swiss toast."

"French," Anthony corrects. "It's called French toast here."

"That actually sounds a lot better," Peter admits. "Rolls off the tongue nicely." He sets the sheet pan on the counter, adds an oven rack and begins laying out strips of bacon.

"Are you... _baking_ the bacon?" Anthony asks. His eggs, cinnamon, and heavy cream are all mixed and he starts soaking the stale brioche.

"Yeah," Peter says, sliding in the full sheet and turning on the convection setting to 400. "It should be done in like, 15 minutes. Plenty of time for me to fry some potatoes."

"You taking care of me, Pete?" Anthony asks. He's both amused and touched.

"I like helping people," Peter answers. He locates a heavy cast iron skillet and sets it on burner, turning on the heat.

"I'll be done making this stuff before then," Anthony reminds him.

"Are you turning down bacon and fried potatoes?" Peter asks him. He grabs some peanut oil and potatoes.

"Hell no," Anthony says. "I will drag this breakfast out as long as I have to!"

"You don't have to work today?" Peter's moved on to peeling potatoes. He works fast, hands nimble. "And did you want onions?"

"I have an acquisition meeting I can't miss this afternoon from 2 to 4, probably 4:30. Then I'm free." He has a messy pile of the concoction-soaked bread. "And that's a pass on the onions."

"Good," Peter sighs out in relief. "I didn't feel like crying." He starts cutting the potatoes, none of them uniform in size.

"Anything in particular you want to do this afternoon when we go out?" Anthony asks, cooking his part of the breakfast as Peter fries the potatoes.

"Dealer's choice," Peter insists. "Any chance of getting the AI in my suit up and running tonight?"

Anthony nods. "We can try. If we can't bring your gal back from the dead, we can always see about patching JARVIS in."

_I would of course be delighted to assist Spider-Man in his Avenging efforts._

"See?" Anthony says. "No sweat."

Bacon liberated and potatoes fried to perfection, Peter makes up a plate for Anthony and himself. Anthony makes up another couple of plates of the French toast he'd kept in a warmer for himself and Peter and they sit down to eat.

"Second breakfast," Peter jokes. "You know, like in _Master of the Rings_."

Anthony just shakes his head. "I have no idea what that is."

"Some old book series that has a cult following back where I'm from but never really went anywhere," Peter tells him. "I only know because there was a kid on the Decathlon team who was obsessed with it."

"So how was your run?" Anthony asks.

"Well," Peter says after chewing a piece of bacon thoughtfully. "Sam cracked up for some reason when I looped Cap. I don't know why, all I said was 'On your left.' He thought it was hilarious."

Anthony chuckles. "You just made Wilson's entire year; I promise you."

"JARVIS said something this morning about team free time?"

"Yeah, we take a day or two after missions to kick back and relax. Then it's back to the daily grind. Team training exercises, individual training, the usual," Anthony explains.

_Sir, Ms. Potts is calling. Shall I put her through or simply wait until she storms the communal floor?_

Anthony sighs heavily. "Give her a message to go ahead and come on up." He looks at Peter. "She's been wanting to meet you."

"Okay," Peter says. "I know the Ms. Potts from my world, kind of. She doesn't really interact with us all that much, unless there's a big thing that could affect SI. She's nice, just... intense."

Anthony laughs. "That's a good way to describe her."

_Ms. Potts is en route to your location, Sir._

"Thanks, J."

Breakfast finished, Peter and Anthony start clearing the table and cleaning up what little mess they'd made. Anthony watches with approval how Peter cleans the cast iron skillet before rubbing the inside down with some of the grease from the bacon and setting it in the still-hot oven to season. "A guy who actually knows how to care for these things," he comments.

"My Uncle Ben taught me," Peter says. He helps with the rest of the dishes and once they're cleaned, dried, and put away, he pulls the skillet out and sets it on a potholder to cool.

"Tony!"

They both look up and over to see Pepper Potts dressed in charcoal slacks and a deep blue blouse. She looks almost exactly his Ms. Potts, except for the sweeping bangs.

"Hey, Pep!" Anthony greets. "If you've come to remind me about the Alchemax meeting, I'm coming."

Ms. Potts stops, looking stunned. "Just like that?"

"Yeah, well, the sooner we get through the meeting, the sooner I can get Peter over here out on the town, making his mark."

Peter rolls his eyes. "Don't use me as an excuse!" He chides. He refuses to get between _any_ Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts.

Ms. Potts walks over to them and holds out her hand to Peter. "It's nice to meet you, Peter."

"It's nice to meet you, too. You know, this you, Ms. Potts." Peter says.

"Please, call me Pepper. I actually came up to let you know that if you need anything, especially press-wise as Spider-Man, I'll be happy to help." she looks to Anthony. "We're already getting calls from the media and I just had the sincere pleasure of hanging up on Deputy Director Hill from SHIELD."

Anthony whistles. "I thought you had an extra radiance to your usual glow this morning."

Ms. Potts - Pepper - just smirks. If Peter had any doubt at all that Pepper in any reality isn't one to be trifled with, that doubt is gone.

"So, what's the line on Spider-Man?" he asks.

"We've only said no comment so far."

"The team's gonna be meeting up in a few for some down-time, so we can discuss it then and I'll have the run-down ready before our meeting this afternoon," Anthony says. "Also, the Stark V phone is getting ready to go to full-scale production so we can put a release out on that, hopefully draw some of the attention off Spider-Man."

Pepper nods. "Are you okay with that, Peter?"

Peter is taken aback. "I get a say?"

"Of course, you get a say," Anthony insists. "It's your superhero life. We can field the press as long as you want."

"N-no, that works," Peter says. "We just need to figure out what you'll say once I go back home." The thought weighs heavily in his gut, uncomfortable and bitter.

Anthony nods his head, smile gone. "We'll get it sorted, Peter." He turns to Pepper. "I'll be up at 1:30, okay?"

Still looking slightly shell-shocked at how cooperative Anthony's being, Pepper nods. "Okay. Enjoy your team time, boys."

* * *

Team Free Time is apparently meant to be a "go your own way free for all” but is instead usually used for the Avengers to hang out with each other. They all like spending time together.

Steve and Sharon are playing some kind of card game with Scott and Pietro. Peter figures out the rules by watching and finds himself laughing at the trash talking going on.

"You know inmates spend a lot of time playing cards, right, Cap?" Scott challenges, placing an ace of spades over the three cards and taking all four before putting out a queen of clubs.

"And I've been playing cards since before you were born, in the trenches of Nazi Germany," Steve taunts as Sharon grudgingly throws out a 10 of hearts. Pietro puts down a king of diamonds. "So, don't test me, Son," Steve finishes, laying down a jack of clubs and taking the cards. "Love? Give us another point there, will you?"

Sharon arranges the cards (a four and a six) to her side so that six diamonds are showing instead of five. Pietro and Scott's cards show four clubs.

"What do you play to?" Peter asks as Sharon shuffles the very thin deck.

"10," Sharon tells him.

"Do you play for anything?"

"Pride," Scott answers. "Not that I have much to begin with."

"Deal me a good one so we can destroy them, will you?" Steve asks Sharon.

"I'll do my best," she tells him with a sweet smile that fools no one.

"I still say we should use the automatic dealer," Pietro says. "Take the human element out of it. There are too many quick hands in this Tower."

"It's almost as if you don't trust us," Steve chides.

"Not with cards," Pietro says flatly.

Shaking his head and laughing, Peter wanders off. He's starting to get the impression that Steve and Sharon are the mom and dad of the team with Anthony as a rich, eccentric uncle to the rest of them.

There's a loud "Whoop!" and he goes to watch Sam, Clint, and Bucky racing for their lives on what he assumes is Luigi Kart. Bucky's just pulled ahead and is about to win before a red mushroom hits his kart and his racer falls into last place, with Clint taking first.

"Alright," Clint announces. "Who wants to get their ass beat by the master?"

"I'll have a go," Peter offers.

"You ever play Luigi Kart?" Sam asks.

"No, but we have Bowser Kart back home, and it looks pretty similar. I'm great at video games."

Nat, Ava, Rhodey, and Wanda wander over from the table where they've been working the largest puzzle Peter's ever seen to watch. Anthony looks intrigued but isn't meeting his eyes for some reason.

"Alright," Clint says. "Prepare to lose."

"Mind if I get comfortable?" Peter asks.

"By all means," Bucky huffs, still looking put out that he lost.

"It's not gonna help you," Clint taunts. "But sure."

Peter kicks off his shoes and takes off his socks, putting them in the sneakers. He tucks his shirt into his shorts and tightens the drawstring. Then he _jumps_ and twists so he can stick his feet to the ceiling. He crouches down and holds out a hand. "Controller, please?"

Looking a little freaked out, Clint tosses one up at him.

"How are you doing that?" Sam asks, looking stunned. No one but Anthony has seen him do any sort of wall crawling stuff outside of the footage of his fight against the Doom Bots he knows they've seen.

"I'm just that good." He flips the controller in his hands a few times. "Are we going to race or what?"

Giving Peter a suspicious look, Clint sits down. "Mind if I pick the course?"

"Go for it," Peter encourages.

Clint keeps his racer and Peter chooses Bowser. When Clint picks the public Avengers track, Peter grins. This will be fun.

* * *

"T-that's not possible," Clint whispers, as the screen clearly shows Peter as the winner.

"I told you, I'm great at video games," Peter says. He does the same release, fall, and landing he'd done the first night in front of Anthony. "Good race, though."

Anthony lets out a genuine laugh and something relaxes in Peter. "Finally, someone was able to take Clint down!"

"How did you do that?" Clint asks, dumbstruck.

Peter shrugs. "I'm great at video games."

"What else are you good at?" Ava asks.

"I did really good in school," Peter answers. "I got a full ride to MIT, but the others wanted me close by, just in case, so I was supposed to start at NYU. As far as being good at stuff, I'm not sure if LEGO assembly counts. Oh, and I was pretty good at ballet, before I had to stop."

Natasha looks intrigued. "Why did you have to stop?"

"It got too expensive," Peter tells her. "Especially after Uncle Ben died."

"I have a studio here," Natasha says. "You're welcome to join me."

"I don't even have the right footwear," Peter tries to protest. "And you guys can't keep just buying stuff for me."

"Right," Sam scoffs. "Because a pair of slippers is what's going to tank the Avengers."

"Maybe the tutu will," Anthony says with a smirk. "Really, it's no issue. But, to business. Pepper says the media vultures are circling already, wanting the scoop on Spider-Man. She's been holding them off since the fight the other day."

"We need to be careful," Hope says immediately. "Especially if alternate realities are involved."

"Do we have any information on if there's a Peter Parker in this reality?"

Anthony isn't meeting Peter's eyes again. "He died when he was six. Same car crash that killed his parents."

Peter isn't sure what to say. "More of the incredible Parker Luck," he mutters. "So, I'm dead."

Anthony's head shoots up. "No, no _you're_ not."

"Do we need to bring your actual name into it?" Ava asks.

"We don't hide behind masks," Steve says firmly.

"If anyone gets the notion that all it takes to get their loved one back is to just hop into a different reality and take them, we're in trouble." Hope argues.

"And just who is going to be able to figure that out?" Scott asks.

"Considering our enemy list, a lot of people," Sam reasons.

"So, what if we just make up a last name?" Peter asks. "I mean, the idea is for me to eventually go back, right?"

There's an uncomfortable silence that settles over the group at that. Anthony in particular doesn't look happy with the statement, which Peter finds a little strange, but maybe Anthony's hoping for more lab time? Or does he really just enjoy Peter's company that much?

"How long would it take to create a new identify for him?" Scott asks Sharon.

Sharon considers. "Depending on how deep we need it to go, a few days. And it's the media. It's going to need to go deep."

"So, we need a new last name," Peter says.

"Peter Stark?" Bucky suggests.

"No." Peter, Anthony, and Natasha all say at the same time.

"What about Starr?" Ava offers. "I'm still an anomaly to the public and I have no living family left to speak of, save you guys."

"Half-sibling or cousin," Sam muses. "Starr was heavily involved with what was supposed to be SHIELD but later turned out to be HYDRA. It could work."

"Peter Starr, age 18. Escaped from HYDRA a few weeks ago. Joined up with the Avengers to meet his long-lost sister." Sharon looks to Anthony, Peter, and Ava. "Does this work for you?"

Peter gets an encouraging nod from Ava and a sad sort of smile from Anthony. "Yeah. Yeah, it will work."

"I'm sorry you can't be Peter Parker over here, Peter," Anthony tells him. "I wish you could be, but-"

"But there's too many ways it could go wrong," Peter interrupts. "I understand it. I just kind of feel like, I don't know, like I'm betraying my family or something."

"They'd want you to be safe," Steve says. "And this will keep you safe while you're here."

"Alright." Sharon gets up. "I'm going to go and build an identity for our newest Avenger. Barnes? You in?"

Bucky nods. "Sure am."

"I'll help," Clint offers. "Least I can do for the kid who kicked my ass." That gets a laugh out of Peter.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your down-time," Peter tells them.

"Don't be," Sharon insists. "We actually start to go stir crazy if we stay idle for longer than a couple of days."

"It's true," Pietro adds. "And when we go stir crazy-"

"You destroy my Tower," Anthony interjects. "Is it lunch time yet?"

_The caterers are currently setting up. Lunch will be served in thirty minutes._

"Excellent. What did we order?"

 _Selections from_ Luce Encanta _._

At Anthony's request, JARVIS then gives a run-down of the menu, which seems extravagant for something as simple as lunch. When JARVIS also mentions the _usual assortment of desserts per the teams' preferences_ , Peter's eyes go wide.

"And then we have gym time, right?" He asks, stomach rumbling loudly.

Pietro laughs. "It seems like a lot, but with metabolisms like yours and mine, it's considered a light lunch."

Steve nods his agreement. "And the food here never goes to waste, trust me."

They migrate over to the puzzle that some of them were working on and Peter snorts out a laugh at the image: The Avengers all leaping or flying into battle. "10,000 pieces?" He asks. "I didn't know they made puzzles with that many pieces."

"Custom order," Anthony says. "With full payment to the artist, of course. I think Mr. Morales did a brilliant job."

Peter nods. "You all look pretty bad-ass."

"Captain," Wanda says teasingly. "Peter said a bad-language word."

Steve just sighs heavily. "I hate you all."

"No, you don't," Rhodey teases. "You can't say that kind of stuff, Cap. It's bad for morale."

They entertain themselves by working the puzzle until JARVIS summons them for lunch. Pietro has to forcibly drag Wanda away to her protests of "Just one last piece!" and reply "You and I both know that it's never just 'one last piece'!"

* * *

"Excited to explore the city?" Ava asks, handing him yet _another_ giant chocolate chip cookie to go along with his ridiculous servings of stuffed chicken and eggplant parmigiana. He's already devoured a massive helping of the salad and could easily go for more.

Peter nods. "Yeah, I'm curious to see just what's different. I kind of got a sense by the weird billboards while I was fighting, and the fact that you guys still have the Empire State Building but no Twin Towers."

"Seriously? You don't have the ESB where you're from?" Natasha asks, daintily wiping her mouth of the marinara sauce.

"No, it was destroyed by the 10 Rings in a terrorist attack in 2005." He takes another bite of the eggplant; it might be his favorite.

"Well, there's always Time's Circle," Sam suggests.

"The Central Park Zoo is always worth a visit," Hope says. "The otters there are just adorable."

"Broadway's pretty nice," Steve admits. "And the Met."

"We'll hit all the good stuff," Anthony promises Peter. "Now, I promised our Alpha Female that I'd be up to prep for a meeting this afternoon. I should be done after 4:30. Then we'll hit the town, okay?"

Peter nods, eagerly.

"Try not to burn my Tower down," Anthony tells the group. He glares at Steve in particular, who rolls his eyes.

"It was _one_ time!"

"We'll keep the geriatrics away from the fire-making stuff," Sam promises. "And I'm sure Mr. Starr here will keep the rest of us in line."

After lunch the team starts to drift off and Natasha asks Peter to join her for a walk. Peter follows, half-wondering just how it is that the Avengers over here like him _so much_ when the Avengers back home can hardly tolerate him. Natasha keeps up a light flow of conversation and Peter finds her easy to talk to. She motions him inside a room and Peter finds she's walked him to a light and airy studio. There's a barre on a mirrored wall and just inside the doorway are bags of slippers.

"JARVIS has your size, but every dancer is different, so we ordered a selection. The others we'll donate to the ballet school in Queens," Natasha tells him.

Peter tries them all on, settling on a sturdy yet comfortable canvas pair. He does a few spins in them. "These will do." He and Natasha box up the rest of them. Then they stretch.

It's been so long since Peter's gone through a proper stretching routine that he's almost taken aback by the burn of his muscles and tendons. It feels good, though. It feels really good.

Natasha puts on some music and Peter recognizes it. He'd danced to this, years ago. He remembers most of it, and Natasha follows his lead as he extends and leaps and spins. At one point they're dancing, wrapped up in each other, before parting and finishing as the music fades out.

"You're a little rusty, but I'll get you back into shape in no time," she teases.

Peter grins. He's missed this. He's missed this a lot.

* * *

The acquisition meeting goes well. The team is well prepared, and Pepper had given him a good run-down of the more salient points. Anthony is feeling better and better about acquiring Alchemax. The products in development have potential, but SI can give them that extra push - make them great. He gives his full attention to the meeting; livelihoods of people on all sides are at stake.

Pepper concludes the meeting at 4:30 exactly, sending him a knowing look.

As the acquisition team exits, Anthony waves her over. "We're giving them all a nice bonus, right?"

"A _very_ nice bonus," Pepper assures him.

"Good." Making Pepper CEO of SI is one of the best things he's ever done.

"Anthony?"

"Yes?" He's almost out the door.

"Have fun."

Anthony grins back at her. "We will."

As he takes the elevator down, he asks for Peter's whereabouts.

_Mr. Parker is currently in Studio B with Ms. Romanoff._

When Anthony shows up, they're not dancing. Apparently, they haven't been for a while, instead sitting, stretching, and talking. Few people could work their way into Natasha's circle of trust so quickly, but Peter, Anthony supposes, isn't just "people."

"Ready to go explore?" Anthony asks when they look up.

Peter nods, eager. "Yeah, just let me change into something that's not sweaty and gross. I'll meet you back down here."

Anthony nods and when Peter's gone, Natasha raises an eyebrow.

"I haven't even opened my mouth!" Anthony protests.

"You don't have to," she says. "He's strong and has an amazing sense of responsibility. He had to grow up far too fast and he's desperate for approval. He's not naive, but there's an innocence to him." She looks at Anthony. "He loves it here, but he doesn't think he deserves to be happy, not really."

"He deserves the world," Anthony says, heart half breaking."

"We're going to have a hell of a time convincing him of that. You're going to need to be careful."

"Why?"

"Because sooner or later the guilt is going to kick in and he's going to break down. Most likely it will be sooner."

"I'll be there for him," Anthony promises. "No matter what."

* * *

Peter is looking around like a true tourist instead of the New Yorker he's been his entire life. The differences between the realities continue to surprise him. Where Times Square is in his world is Times Circle here, complete with curved sidewalks and buildings. it's still a hub of activity and street performers, billboards and advertisements and newscasts.

Anthony also takes him to Central Park, where they visit the zoo. Peter gets a kiss from one of the otters and Anthony captures a picture. He also pets some baby goats, one of which nearly manages to tear the leg Anthony's pants.

After the zoo, they go to the Met. Peter's been a few times back home, but this place is a totally new experience. He doesn't recognize any of the paintings or sculptures, though he does recognize the styles of the artists. Van Gogh's _Stormy Night_ is every bit as sublime as _Starry Night_. He could spend _hours_ here and tells Anthony as much.

"We'll come back," Anthony promises. "If we wrangle Ol' Spangles, he could probably give you a college-worthy guided tour."

"And have the fun sucked out of it?" Peter asks, then looks horrified at himself.

Anthony just laughs, full and deep. "Oh, that's the best thing I've heard all day!" He checks his watch. "7:30 already. You must be starving at this point."

"I could eat," Peter says, which is an understatement. He'd eaten a corn dog with lots of mustard back at Times Circle, but that felt like ages ago.

"Feel like anything in particular?" At Peter's head shake, he grins. "Trust me?"

Anthony and he walk several blocks to a place called Cafe Boulud. The maître d takes one look at Anthony and then leads them back into a large, but private room. Anthony pulls a chair back for Peter and then sits across from him.

"Enjoy your meal, messieurs."

A waiter brings them menus while another pours water and hands Anthony a book listing the various wines available.

Peter reads through the menu, grateful that there's descriptions of the food in English. What he doesn't like is the prices. His eyes go wide. $48 for asparagus?

"Peter, don't worry about the cost," Anthony tells him, reading the expression on his face perfectly. "Everything here is ethically sourced and all of the staff are paid generously. Money isn't an issue here." Anthony makes a note to himself to take Peter to places where the price isn't displayed, in future.

"It's just, so much money for something as simple as asparagus?"

"Asparagus is pretty rare," Anthony says. "There was a pretty devastating eco-terrorist attack about 20 years ago. Some vegetables and fruits, like asparagus, raspberries, and grapefruit have never really bounced back."

"Supply and demand?" Peter asks, understanding.

"Yep," he sets the wine book down. "Any idea what you want to order?"

Peter shrugs helplessly. "Everything sounds amazing. Can you order for me?"

Anthony nods, smiling softly. "Of course."

When the waiter comes back, they have a conversation in French. Anthony seems to have confused the poor man but repeats himself. Looking flustered, the waiter nods and leaves. Another man comes to speak with Anthony and again, more French. This man apparently understands, and Anthony shakes his hand before they're left alone once more.

"How was your day, after I went to work?"

Peter can't stop the smile that spreads across his face. "I danced with Natasha for a few hours, it was nice. I haven't done that in so long. And then we just talked. I know she's a badass super assassin spy, but she's so nice."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Anthony says sincerely. He's happy that Peter's making friends with the team so easily.

"I never thought I'd enjoy an interrogation, but she has a way about her." Peter's smirking and he just shakes his head. Of course, Peter would notice.

"She can't help it," he advises.

"I know her in my reality, too," Peter says. "It's part of who she is."

"How were the shoes?" Bread and little pots of various preserves are brought to them.

"Good. I still have a bit to go before I break them in, but with my healing factor, all the blisters will be gone in the morning."

"That'll be good. We'll have training tomorrow and Cap's always a hard ass the first day back." He gives an exaggerated shudder. "It'll take up most of the morning."

"Is it weird that I'm looking forward to it?" Peter asks, spreading some apricot preserves on a slice of bread. "I never got to train with the team."

"It's not weird," Anthony assures him. "I mean, the novelty will wear off, but it's good stuff. Usually leaves our afternoons free for our other exploits." He seizes the blackberry and preps a few slices. "Bruce mentioned that he's seen your blood work and thinks he has a suitable meal plan drawn up for you."

"I can't believe this is actually a thing that we can do," Peter says.

Anthony shrugs. "It will help, believe me. The metabolisms you guys have are insane. You'll feel much better and you won't be hungry all the time."

Peter looks relieved at that. "I feel like I'm getting obsessed with food. It's going to be hard to go back."

The easy smile falls from Anthony's face. "Let's just worry about time when we get to it, okay?"

Grateful, Peter nods. He doesn't like thinking about going back. His stomach twists every time he does. Everything feels so right here. But eventually they'll get tired of him and will probably be glad to see him gone. He's not looking forward to that day.

When the food comes, Peter realizes why the waiter had been so confused. Anthony's ordered the entire (if limited in the way fancy places so often are) menu. At Peter's incredulous look, Anthony shrugs. "You couldn't decide and any leftovers we'll take home."

* * *

With a couple of bags filled with leftovers, Anthony calls them a car. To Peter's dismay, the driver is familiar. "Hi, Mr. Hogan," Peter greets quietly. The man had never liked him, back home. The other Avengers hadn't ever come out and told him they didn't like him, but Happy? He'd had no such issue with making it known. _Are you always this goddamn annoying? Jesus, Kid, I can't wait until Stark kicks you to the curb._

"Good evening," Happy greets back. "You must be the new superhero Anthony here can't shut up about."

"Sorry about that," Peter apologizes, out of habit.

"Why? It's a nice change from his usual meddling into my personal life," Happy says with a chuckle. "And call me Happy. Anyone who saves this idiot's life is a friend of mine."

"This idiot who signs your paycheck is sitting right here," Anthony grumbles.

"Actually Ms. Potts signs my paycheck," Happy says with smirk. He looks at Peter in the rear view mirror. "You sure this is the kind of company you want to keep? He takes a lot of looking after."

Peter can't help but smile. "He's alright."

"Unbelievable." Anthony crosses his arms with an exaggerated pout. With a heavy sigh, he looks at Peter, and there's nothing but good humor in his eyes. "So, lab tonight? I just got a notification from JARVIS. The other AI isn't functional, but he thinks he can interface with the suit."

"Yes!" Peter exclaims, any thoughts he might have had about going to bed long gone from his mind. He ignores the pang he feels at losing Karen, but getting JARVIS? That's incredible!

* * *

Getting JARVIS integrated into the suit takes some finagling and some techno sweet-talking, but Anthony and Peter manage it. Hearing the AI in his ear for the first time while suited up gives Peter chills.

_I am fully operational and ready to assist, Spider-Man._

"This has been the coolest day ever," Peter says, giving an approving Anthony the thumbs-up.

"Looking good, Spider-Man," Anthony says.

"I'm _feeling_ good!" Peter answers.

He really is. Peter feels happier than he's felt in a long, long time. He never wants this feeling to go away.

He knows that he can't, but he wants to stay.


	6. There's More Than One of Everything

**Chapter 6 - There's More Than One of Everything**

* * *

Late July morphs into August and beyond.

It doesn't take long at all until Peter feels like he's always lived here. It's getting hard to remember life back home. In fact, he's started thinking of it as "Over There" in his mind. Over Here is so much better.

He loves everything.

Training with the team is better than he'd ever dreamed it could be. Sure, Cap _is_ a hard ass with some of the drills, and Nat and Sharon have _way_ too much fun waking the team up at odd hours for emergency preparedness drills ("HYDRA's not going to care if you got your eight hours or not, Lang!"), but overall it's great. Peter's getting much better at hand-to-hand and his stamina has really increased. He's not just fast and strong; he's strategic and patient.

Working in the labs with Anthony is amazing. He and Anthony bounce ideas off of each other and Anthony's even said he'll teach him how to build his own AI. Peter loses himself in learning all about nanotechnology and its various applications. Anthony doesn't just use it for the Avengers; he's working on revolutionizing the world of prosthetics and surgical procedures. It has Peter's mind racing as he starts writing down notes on how to link it with biochemistry.

He dances with Natasha, and sometimes Bucky. He cooks with Sam and Sharon. He and Steve spend time talking about the history of this reality and they start making their way through an ever-expanding list of need-to-know pop culture. He spends hours talking and laughing with Ava, who's become a sister to him in every way that matters. He games with Clint, Pietro, and Wanda. He helps Scott and Bruce with their own projects and even though Hope is often busy outside of the Tower with Pym Tech, she makes time for her and Peter to spar or watch the most outrageous stand-up. Peter even spends time with Rhodey, who ends up feeling like an uncle of sorts. Peter has never been a big puzzle fan, but the times he and Rhodey spend working one huge puzzle after another leave him feeling calm and serene. This Rhodey is a good listener.

Everything is great. Until it's not.

* * *

Peter had thoroughly intended on ignoring his birthday. He'd tried to have a birthday Over There, and Mr. Stark had ruined it. What's the point?

Having fun, apparently.

On August 10th, a Friday, Peter is woken up by JARVIS playing Happy Birthday. He has a message from Anthony to meet him in the communal kitchen. When he does, he's met with the team who have made him breakfast. They're all smiling at him as they wish him a happy birthday and he can't help but duck his head, bashful.

"I can't believe you went through all of this trouble just for me," he says. Things like this just don't happen to him.

"We don't skip birthdays here," Steve tells him, once they're all seated and eating.

"Nope," Anthony agrees. "Birthdays are non-negotiable. We love a good party. Which reminds me, we're taking the party elsewhere tonight."

"Wait, what?" Peter pauses, forkful of pancakes half-way to his mouth.

"Dinner, a surprise, the usual," Anthony says.

"And," Sharon says, pulling out a colorfully wrapped box from underneath the table. "Gifts. Which cannot be returned."

Peter narrows his eyes at her serene expression. "That's playing dirty."

"Only way to win," she says, unrepentant.

"Don't be upset, please," Ava implores. "We want to celebrate your day."

So, Peter forces himself to relax and accept the gestures for what they are. He's part of the team, an _Avenger_ and this is what they do for each other. He's allowed to enjoy this.

He opens the gifts after they finish eating. Sharon and Steve give him a special edition Avengers LEGO set, complete with Avengers Tower. Clint and the Twins have customized a controller for him with spiderwebs. Sam gives him a voucher for "Five Free Southern Cooking Lessons as Held by Sam Wilson." Peter laughs out loud when he reads it. Bucky and Natasha give him tickets to a ballet show that's going to be performed in New York later in the month. Bruce gives him a proper lab coat, embroidered with _P. Starr_ on the left-hand breast pocket. Rhodey gives him a 2,000-piece puzzle featuring Spider-Man. Ava's put together a scrapbook for him, with pictures of Peter and the team.

"You guys, this is... _thank you_ so much!" Peter's mind is spinning. All of this is so surreal, so completely beyond anything he could expect.

"You're welcome," Ava tells him. "Anthony, what about your gift?"

"Oh," Anthony says. "Yeah. It's a new suit. For all of your spidey and super-daring-do needs."

"Is it in the lab?" Peter asks.

"No. It doesn't actually exist yet," Anthony tells him. "Because you and I are going to make it, together." He grins. "There's a reason why you're going to be building an AI."

Peter sits back on the sofa, stunned. He and Anthony are going to be making Peter's new suit together. He's never been allowed to work on his own suits; Mr. Stark's always threatened to take them away if he hacks them. He can offer up suggestions, but outside of his web shooters, he doesn't get much say.

Peter's going to have a new suit and he gets to help Anthony make it and holy shit this is the best birthday present ever!

Steve gets everyone's attention. "Right, we still have training." He frowns at everyone's groans. "Hey, it's going to be different today!" He looks at Peter. "How do you feel about rounding up some rogue superheroes?"

Peter has to think for a moment. Then he gets it. And grins. "I'd love to!"

Steve lays out the rules for all of them.

Peter straps on his web shooters and grins. He feels more confident when he wears them; he always has. He's not going to ask JARVIS for help. He's got this.

* * *

When Peter slips the web shooters onto his wrists, everything about his demeanor changes. He's standing up straight, head held high. There's a confidence to him that Anthony hasn't seen since Peter had dropped into a perfect superhero landing in front of him (in clothes that sadly were not skin-tight). _This guy is born for this,_ he thinks. And Anthony wants for Peter to have this confidence in himself all the time, web shooters or not.

JARVIS starts a countdown of ten minutes and Anthony and the others scatter.

* * *

Rounding up rogue superheroes is the best exercise ever. It takes a little over an hour to hunt them all down throughout the Tower and web them up, but he manages it.

Sam and Steve are the first to fall, followed by Wanda and Clint. Rhodey evades him for a while before getting webbed to a window. Then Sharon is caught on a balcony and Scott taken down in the library. Hope and Natasha are cornered in the ballet studio and HR break room, respectively. (And Natasha's impressed, even if she's glaring murder at him for the webbing in her hair.) Pietro is tricky to nail down, so Peter hangs out in the common room and closes his eyes, letting his spidey-sense take over. He sends a web just before Pietro can speed through the hall, catching him.

Ava is one of the hardest to track down, along with Bucky and surprisingly, Bruce. He hears Ava's footsteps and webs a wall just as she's walking through it, before he manages to catch Bucky scaling the inside of an elevator shaft. Bruce, he catches in one of Anthony's suits. He webs the suit up and leaves the lab.

Anthony's the only one left... and the one he's purposefully saved for last. Peter goes looking.

The main lab is out. As are the other labs. The garage is a bust; he can't hear a heartbeat or the quiet hum of the arc reactor. He looks around for maybe ten minutes before it comes to him.

When he steps into the Penthouse, Anthony is waiting for him.

"You saved the best for last, huh?" Anthony teases.

Peter snorts. "I felt like some actual competition," he retorts.

"Ouch," Anthony says with fake hurt. "You know, you got me. No webbing required."

Peter shakes his head with a grin. "Sorry, but Cap was clear on the rules. No web, no win." He raises his wrist and a tiny web shoots out and hits Anthony dead in the chest.

"Hey JARVIS? Let Cap know I'm done."

_Excellent work, Mr. Parker. I shall inform Captain Rogers._

When they all gathered in the common area, Peter tosses out a few canisters of his web dissolver. It feels like the least he can do.

Steve has JARVIS show highlights from Peter's hunt, and they all laugh good-naturedly at some of his more impressive catches, like Bucky and Rhodey. From the second viewing of the footage, Peter's questioned more on his spidey-sense and how he uses it while he's fighting.

"I don't have to do much fighting," Peter admits. "Mr. Stark only wanted me to be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and I only got called on missions when the others were feeling desperate. Usually I just end up webbing whoever it is that's stolen a purse or something."

"Do you use the sense when you're training with us?"

"Not really," Peter says. "I'm scared that I'll get so lost in it that I'll lose control and seriously hurt one of you guys."

"Just how strong are you?" Hope asks.

"I had a building dropped on me and didn't die?" Peter offers.

There's a long moment of silence. And then there's a cacophony of yelling and swearing.

Peter sighs and realizes he's said too much. "You guys!" he yells, getting their attention. "I'm fine!" He sits down and tells the story, a little more on edge than he'd been when he told Anthony. This feels like he's facing a hearing or something and when a hand lands on his shoulder, he looks over to see Anthony giving him an understanding look.

"It's okay," Anthony tells him. "You're not under fire here, okay?" And Anthony shoots an annoyed look at the others. "And I think this is the kind of conversation than can be tabled, yeah?"

So, the post-mission briefing continues until it's time for lunch and Peter is dragged off by Pietro, Steve, Bucky, and Wanda to get their prepared meals from the chef's down in the SI cafeteria. When they return, Ava has (yet again) set a couple of giant cookies at his spot between her and Anthony. The others are already eating.

"I'm starting to think you're trying to condition me," Peter tells Ava.

"To achieve what?" she asks, rolling her eyes.

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"Just shut up and eat the damn cookies," Sam tells him. "She doesn't give me cookies, you know. What's your secret?"

"I'm adorable," Peter says sweetly. "And I'm actually good at Luigi Kart."

From the other end of the table Bucky starts laughing so hard he has to put his fork down. Steve tries to look stern but fails and starts laughing as well.

* * *

The rest of the day continues on normally until it's nearly time for dinner. Then Peter finds himself essentially strong-armed by Ava and Sharon into dressing up and they drive him to a restaurant he's obviously never been to before. When they arrive, Anthony, Pepper, Happy, and the others are all there, waiting.

The place is a Korean steakhouse called Cote. According to Sharon and Tony, it's one of the top restaurants in the city. They're the only patrons in the restaurant - it's been closed just for Peter's birthday, which is a little embarrassing, but also a little flattering.

He's seated between Anthony and Ava and the entire group is treated to what the executive chef calls the Butcher's Feast, along with the entire appetizer section of the menu. Peter's glad that Anthony and Sharon have selected for the group ahead of time; he wouldn't have even known where to begin.

Everything about the food is amazing and the group is raucous in their conversation and enjoyment of the evening. Anthony hands him a thick envelope as they're sitting and finishing up. "This is a gift for you from all of us."

Peter opens it to find numerous tickets to a series of comedy shows to be taped in Las Vegas the following weekend. He looks up, stunned. "We get to see the live tapings?"

"Well, yes and no. We'll all be there," Anthony explains. "But not as us. We'll have static veils and be seated in various locations - all good seats, but just, spread out in groups. We don't want to make the shows about us."

Peter nods eagerly. It makes perfect sense to him. He recognizes the names of the performers from the shows he's watched on StarFlix - he gets to see the newest material! And with his fa-... with his friends.

"This is beyond amazing," he says. He looks up and down the tables that have been pushed together. "Thank you, guys, so much!"

"Right, well, night's not done. We have another stop, so the question is, who are you riding with?" Anthony asks him.

"There's more?" Peter asks, incredulous.

"Look, it's your 18th birthday, okay? It's the last big one before you turn 21 and we can legally get you hammered. So, suck it up and let us live through you."

So, Peter finds himself with Anthony in his ridiculously impractical sports car, as they drive to their next stop, a club. Blue lights proclaim the place as _Cortexiphan_. The bouncer takes one look at Anthony, Peter, and the others, who have arrived, and ushers them in without a word.

The club is full of cool blue lights and strange images that are just a little off, like a hand with six fingers or butterflies whose wings are bones. Every now and then gold lights flash here and there. It's crowded, with a mass of bodies writhing on the dance floor. Anthony leads them up a spiral staircase to an upper level where there are couches with a view of the dance floor and the exits, which Clint and Bucky immediately scope out. Natasha, Sam, and Wanda disappear and come back ten minutes later with drinks for everyone.

Peter finds himself leaning over the railing, watching the dancers. The music, a rhythmic thumping electro-trance, is just shy of too loud and Peter can't stop his body from swaying to it. "You don't have to stay up here with us," Steve says. "This is apparently one of the most exclusive clubs in the country - go enjoy yourself."

Peter doesn't think twice, just vaults over the railing and lands softly in one of the few open spaces down below. His head is buzzing as he stands up from his crouch and he moves into the crowd of dancers, not thinking, just letting his body feel the music.

Peter dances for what could be hours, sometimes by himself, other times with a man or woman who's caught his eye. It's nothing inherently sexual, just a release of endorphins and serotonin he hasn't felt outside of web-slinging in a while. He just lets himself exist in the moment.

He's pulled out of the dancing by Natasha, who forces a bottle of water into his hands with a "Trust me." Then once he's finished, he looks up to the level where Anthony is at the railing, watching him, and gives a little wave. At Anthony's smile, he goes back to dancing.

* * *

There's a mission, a couple of weeks later.

Peter doesn't have his new suit yet, but he and Anthony have made incredible progress on it. Making the A.I. is tricky and complicated, and sometimes the coding has Peter wanting to pull his hair out, but he loves it. He's already named it - Gwen - and JARVIS has expressed his excitement that he'll soon have his version of a cousin.

Peter’s suited up in his old suit, complete with JARVIS in his ear, while he and the rest of the Avengers deal with a villain calling himself Mysterio. He's created a system of illusions that have Peter struggling before he stops thinking so much and lets his senses do the work. He breaks out of the illusions just in time to keep Captain America from taking a bullet to the back while Iron Man and Scarlet Witch detain the man who turns out to be a tech geek named Quentin Beck.

It's a successful mission and Peter and the others relax for the next two days.

* * *

Or, Peter was meant to relax. Only, he's gotten this idea in his head. It's one he knows is a risk - knows that is, in fact, a bad idea. But he can't stop himself from making the trek to Queens.

He tries to tell himself to turn around and go back to the Tower, back to Anthony and Ava and the others. He tries to tell himself that this is madness, that he has no business, no right in even considering doing what he's doing. But he can't stop himself. He knocks on the door and holds back the gasp at the familiar face who answers.

"Can I help you?"

"Ben Parker?" Peter asks. Oh gosh, he's just like Peter remembers, the kind brown eyes and gentle smile, and messy brown curls.

"Yes, that's me. How can I help you?" Ben's looking at him curiously.

"I'm Peter Starr. Look," Peter says, nervous. "Can we talk inside? Please?" He puts on what Aunt May's called his puppy-eyes, hoping that they'll work Over Here.

Ben ushers him inside, obviously curious.

The apartment is familiar and completely different. There's very few of the touches he's used to seeing. There aren't any pictures of May, for example, or the hideous afghan Mrs. Romero from two doors down had knitted for them while she was into her latest hobby. But Peter recognizes the small collection of paperweights, even if they're different. It's... it's not home, and it hurts.

Peter finishes his look-around of the living area after hearing the clearing of a throat. He sees Ben looking at him, a little suspicious. Peter's got a sick feeling in his stomach; this had been a mistake. But, in for a penny...

"I uh, I'm not sure where to start. It's just," his gaze darts to the bookshelf, where the wedding picture of Ben and May is missing. "I'm sorry, I need to go."

"What?" Ben asks, now looking at Peter as if he's touched in the head. "What is going on?"

"I'm not supposed to be here," Peter mutters. "This is all wrong." He looks up at Ben. "I'm sorry," he repeats. "I shouldn't have bothered you."

"What is going on?" Ben demands, and alternate reality or not, Peter can't ignore that tone from a Ben Parker.

"My name's not Peter Starr. At least, not until I came here." He looks at Ben imploringly and begins to tell the entire story. "It's me, Uncle Ben. I'm Peter Parker," he says, finishing.

Ben just stares at him, the way he had while Peter was talking. And then his eyes go cold. "Get out. I don't know what sort of sick game you're playing, but you need to leave. I don’t have a wife. My nephew died years ago, in a car crash, with my brother and sister-in-law." He lets out an incredulous laugh. "You're crazy, coming here, spouting off this kind of nonsense. Alternate realities? What is this, some sort of sick attempt at getting attention? Leave." He starts towards Peter threateningly. "Leave!"

Peter turns and races to the door, unable to get out of there fast enough. He fairly flies out the door and down the hall, hearing Ben's pursuit of him. He keeps running, vision blurred by tears. He's outside of the building and ducking into the alley to collect himself when there's a very loud CRACK! and he runs into someone, falling to the ground at the force of the impact.

"Whoa!" Peter looks up to see a young woman. He wipes at his eyes and feels for his spidey-sense. No threat. She's maybe a year or two older than him, with long, dark curly hair and beautiful light-brown skin. Despite the heat, she's wearing a spangled hooded jacket and jeans with black combat boots.

"You okay?" She reaches a hand down to help him up. "You hit me pretty hard there, pal."

"Y-yeah," Peter lies. He's not okay. Not by a long shot. "Wait. What was that cracking sound?" He looks around.

"Oh, that was me." She shrugs. "It happens when I travel between realities and dimensions and the like." She launches into an explanation about herself that she’s obviously told many times before. Then she holds out her hand for him to shake. "I'm America Chavez. Some realities call me Ms. America."

"Peter Par-" he stops. "I'm Peter Starr."

"You're not from here, are you?" she asks, still holding his hand. "I can tell - your energy is different."

"Yeah, I came here a little under a month ago. This isn't my reality." He thinks of how Ben had looked at him. "It _really_ isn't my reality."

"Do you want to go back to your reality?" America asks.

Peter lets out a groan, can feel his eyes watering. "I don't know." His phone dings and he checks it to see a message from Anthony. _Coming home anytime soon?_

"I gotta get back to the Tower." His head hurts.

"Avengers Tower?" America asks. Then she tilts her head. "Oh my god, you're not Peter Starr. You're Peter Parker! You're Spider-Man!"

For the second time that day, Peter finds himself telling his story to someone who doesn't know him. America's a good listener and she hugs him, when he finishes. "I'm so sorry," she tells him. His phone chimes again, and he and America realize they should probably leave the alley.

Peter invites her to the Tower, but she declines. "I'm not always on the best of terms with the Avengers. I think I'll play it solo for a few days. Give me your number, though, so I can get a hold of you once I get a phone here." Peter recites his number off for her and she repeats it back. They part ways, with America telling Peter to keep his head up. "And don't worry, your secret it safe with me, Peter Starr."

"Thanks."

They part ways, Peter heading back to the Tower and America heading... somewhere.

What they don't see is Ben Parker watching them from his window a couple of stories up, having heard everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has waited patiently for this update. This chapter gave me lots of trouble and I wrote, deleted, and re-wrote multiple parts of it multiple times.
> 
> I don't have a set posting schedule. I write as I have time and inspiration and the right headspace for the story. I can't promise that the next chapter will be up before January or even February, but I can promise that this story is NOT abandoned. I have SO MUCH of the later parts of this story written, and right now, it's just filling in the space between.
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me. I truly appreciate your support.
> 
> And also, shout-out to anyone who's been catching the Fringe references throughout this entire story so far!


	7. And Those We've Left Behind

**Chapter 7 - And Those We've Left Behind  
**

* * *

  
By September 1st, it’s noticeable.

When anyone asks Tony Stark where his intern has gone off to or May Parker where her nephew is, they have the same iron-clad explanation.  Peter Parker is away for a specialized year-long biochemical engineering study.  The study is supposedly held at one of the many facilities that Tony owns, and the security is so tight that all details are very hushed.  No one is going to be able to touch something obviously under a Pepper Potts-drafted, signed, and notarized NDA.  Of course, it didn’t stop the admissions office at NYU’s ire at “Peter’s” abrupt  reverse-enrollment a mere week before semester was due to start, but the university did receive a generous donation to the chemistry department.

JARVIS and an AI Tony’s named FRIDAY work together to create videos, pictures, and even voice logs of Peter at the facility using specialized algorithms and recorded footage from the Tower and Karen’s server.

It’s enough to keep the majority of questions at bay.

It’s not enough to keep May from crying herself to sleep.  She isn’t happy with the lie, but she knows her nephew; he wouldn’t want to risk the panic of a city - potentially the world - with the truth of his sudden absence.  She hates to admit that Sam had been right when he’d explained the need for it.  So she follows her late-husband’s advice and puts on a good face in the midst of all the bad weather.  Peter will come back; he _has_  to come back.  And she’ll keep him safe and protected and away from the so-called heroes he’d grown up idolizing.

* * *

Tony sits with the other Avengers in one of the common areas.  It’s been raining and storming this past week, leading to an atmosphere that's dark and moody.  It fits with Tony’s state of mind since Peter’s disappearance.  They’ve poured over all manner of resources, from (formerly, thanks to JARVIS) top-secret SHIELD files to a few tomes that Doctor Strange had sent over with an apprentice named Clea.  Everything has been a dead end. 

Today, Tony’s reading a SHIELD report from the ’60s, when an Agent Richards had disappeared after coming into contact with an object called the Tesseract, only to reappear four years later, not even aged a day.  The Tesseract has been missing ever since.  Frustrated, Tony lets the file drop to the floor carelessly, ignoring the stern look Sharon levels at him.  Another dead end.

_Pardon the interruption, but there two guests who claim to have knowledge of Spider-Man’s whereabouts._

“Send them up,” Tony says instantly, hope rising up in his chest.  “Put then in Conference Room Hulk.”

The visitors are two teenagers, vaguely familiar to Tony.

“You have news on Peter?” Tony asks them, as he and the others file in.

“No, we lied about that,” says the girl simply.  “It’s been weeks since we heard from him.  But we know something’s going on, since the last time we did hear from Peter he was telling us he had to cancel because of Avengers business.  So what’s going on?”

Tony is tempted to kick them out, he really,  _really_ is.  But these two are Peter’s closest friends, he remembers, MJ and Jed?  Ned?  So, maybe talking to them can’t hurt.

“Can you at least tell us if Peter’s okay?” Ned asks.

Steve sighs heavily.  “We don’t know.  He went through some kind of inter-dimensional portal and we’ve been trying to find him ever since.”

“When did he disappear?” MJ asks.

“The day after his birthday.”

“So, it _was_  a mission?” Ned asks, looking surprised.  “I thought you were just being a jerk.” He shrugs at Tony’s glare look.  “No offense.”

“There wasn’t a mission,” Tony admits.  "I forgot about his birthday and kept him working late.  That’s on me.  He came back the next day and then left.”

MJ is looking at them all suspiciously.  “When did you even notice that he was missing?”

A few of them, like Natasha, Pietro, and Hope will actually meet her eyes.  The rest of them are finding the floor very interesting.  MJ snorts, unimpressed.

“It was the 22nd, when I realized,” Tony says.  “I’d kicked him out of the lab and I wasn’t paying attention to much of anything outside of running SI while the CEO was out.”

Both Ned and MJ are looking at Tony like he’s some kind of monster.  “Do you even care that he’s gone?” Ned asks.

“Of course I care!” he insists.  “He’s missing because of me!  Because I messed up!  We’ve been trying to track him down ever since.”

“So it’s more about your guilt and not because you actually care about Peter,” MJ states.  Tony  _really_  doesn’t like this girl.  Why does Peter have such annoying friends?

“You know, you coming here and busting our b- busting our chops isn’t exactly productive,” Steve tells the teens.

“Well, Peter needs someone to have his back, since you apparently don’t give a damn,” MJ shoots back.  “You’re not going to be here for him when he comes back, but we will.” She motions between Ned and herself.  “Just like we were after Kingpin killed his boyfriend.  And just like we were after that building dropped on him, and when his aunt got laid off and had to draw unemployment for months before finding a new job, and then again when he had to turn down his dream school just because it would inconvenience you guys.  So find him, bring him home, and then stay the hell away from him.”

As they go to leave, Ned turns around and looks at them all, disappointment on his face.  “You were his heroes.”

* * *

Tony copes with disappointment and uncertainty the way he always does: he locks himself in his lab.

MJ and Ned’s visit - duplicitous or not - gives Tony and the rest plenty to think about.  Some of the things they said have Tony wondering if he actually knows Peter as well as he’s always thought.  Had they made stuff up?  Or is Peter just that good at hiding stuff?

It’s easy enough to delve into May Parker’s financials.  The Parker's were never a wealthy family, from what he’s been able to gather, but Peter and his Aunt have been struggling for years now.  She’d been laid off during a down-sizing of her old company and had been drawing the meager amount of unemployment available to her for several months, all while continuing to pay off her late husband’s funeral expenses and Peter’s tuition for MidTech.  Her new job is somewhat better and Peter’s graduated from high school now, but looking at the numbers, it still can’t be easy.  Hell, what the Parker household budgets for food in a month, Tony can spend on food in a _day_. 

Something else is nudging at him, too.  Not that it’s Peter’s responsibility, but why isn’t good-as-gold Peter helping out with the pay he gets from his internship?  It’s out of character for him to not contribute; his heart is just that big.

“JARVIS, how much are we paying Peter for his internship?” he asks, reviewing the tuition bills to NYU that are moot at this point.

_Mr. Parker does not receive payment for his internship, Sir._

“What?” Tony asks, indignant.  “How is he not paid?”

JARVIS is silent for a few moments.  Then an audio recording of a discussion between Tony and Pepper begins to play.

_“How much are we going to pay him per month?” Pepper asked._

_“What do you mean, pay?  He’s earning college credits and his suit alone is north of 30 million dollars!”_ Tony hears himself saying.  He sounds cruel and he doesn’t even have the excuse of Pepper being on a vacation or away at a retreat.

_“Tony, it would leave him as the only unpaid intern here,” recorded-Pepper argued.  “Internships have been paid here for more than 10 years.”_

_“He’s getting paid in experience,” recorded-Tony says._   And fuck, Tony realizes that he sounds just like Howard.  _“Look,” he had continued.  “Once he’s an Avenger he’ll get paid.  But right now he’s just a kid.  He doesn’t need the money.”_

_“I still think you’re making a mistake here, Tony,” Pepper had said, sounding resigned._

_“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t be the first.”_

The audio cuts and Tony rubs a hand over his face.  He fucked up on that one, big time.  He pulls up the information on company May Parker now works for.  It’s a relatively decent company, with a good profit margin and benefits a few degrees over reasonable.  Tony gives it some thought and then sends an email to Pepper with a link and the subject: look into acquisition.

He can at least help May, in the meantime.

Tony paces back and forth in his lab, unable to bring himself to do much work.  The lab just isn’t the same without Peter and his curiosity, enthusiasm, and general chatter.  Wilson’s wings are long since finished thanks to all of the hours Peter had put in before he disappeared and the new tactical suits Tony’s devoted himself to are working out great.  His own suit is due to be calibrated, but after he’s run the program incorrectly, twice, he gives up.

His mind drifts back to the vitriol Peter’s friends had spewed at them.

_You’re not going to be here for him when he comes back, but we will.  Just like we were after Kingpin killed his boyfriend._

With a new goal, Tony throws himself into searching Peter’s social media accounts.  He goes back a few years and sure enough, there are pictures and videos of Peter with another teen boy.  There are pictures of them sitting at a table during lunch at their high school.  Other pictures feature them dressed as Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy from Star Trip for Halloween.  There’s a video of them cuddling on a couch, Peter resting his head on the boy’s shoulder while a movie played in the background.  Peter looks young and in the first throes of puppy love.  He looks happy.

Tony scours news reports and sees that the boy - Greg Stacy - had died after being caught in the line of fire of the NYPSD and Kingpin’s hired men.  There had been some speculation that Greg had been the true target to begin with, since his father, Captain Stacy of the 41st, was so outspoken about dismantling organized crime in the city.  Kingpin had wanted to hurt Captain Stacy, the thorn in his side, and had done it by killing his son… unknowingly killing Peter’s - Spider-Man’s - boyfriend.

That had been a few years ago, when Peter had been hell-bent on going after Kingpin, regardless of what Tony and the others had told him.  Fifteen years old with all of the hormones and emotions that came with that age, all dialed up to eleven with superhuman strength and a grieving heart.  He’d needed to do  _something_  and Tony and the rest of them hadn’t even thought to ask  _why_  he was so insistent, had just brushed it off as a child out of his league and wanting to play at being a hero. 

He hadn’t wanted to take down a criminal in some desperate attempt to prove himself, Tony realized. 

Peter had wanted  _revenge_. 

“J, play the the conversation with Peter’s friends back, starting at that scowling banshee’s little rant.”

_Of course._

Tony listens and then when he comes to the point “just like we were after that building dropped on him” he tells JARVIS to pause it.

What.  The.  Fuck.  Peter had never said  _anything_  about that!  Not once.  Why in the world would Peter have kept that from them?  From Tony?

“JARVIS, search Karen’s records.  Give me the report of that incident.”

There’s a pause and then,  _I am afraid I cannot do that, Sir._

“Why the hell not?” Tony asks, feeling like the ground is crumbling beneath him.

 _Karen’s records contain no such information.  By extrapolating reports from the night Mr. Parker apprehended Wilson Fisk and the subsequent reports of his property’s collapse, my conclusion is that Mr. Parker did not have the suit with him during the incident.  With no suit, Karen would have been unable to record any such information or notify yourself or the other Avengers of Mr. Parker’s status._ JARVIS is throwing up articles and news videos from that hectic week.  The last image is Wilson’s building, a pile of rubble.

Tony sits down heavily.

Somehow Peter had survived being buried under that and went on to capture and bring Kingpin to justice.  He’d done it all without any help from Tony or the others.  Without the suit that could have made his mission so much easier.  All because Tony and the others - mainly him, he hates to admit - didn’t think Peter knew what he was doing or talking about.

He’s never felt like more of a failure.  Or more like Howard Stark.

* * *

_“In other news tonight, concerned citizens and watchdogs online are all asking the same question: 'Where is Spider-Man?’ The masked superhero hasn’t been seen in months.  With the crime rate steadily rising in Queens, people are wondering why the slinging spider and his webs are nowhere to be seen when the community needs him most.  We go now to our Man on the Street, Eddie Brock.  Eddie?"_

_“Thanks, Christine.  I’m here in Queens, where Spider-Man first started his vigilante work five years ago.  While the masked hero was initially a thorn in the NYPSD’s side, he quickly proved to be a helpful ally, with his non-lethal methods and apparent talents for de-escalation.  In fact, he’s the only vigilante to formally receive a statement of gratitude from the 41st Precinct’s Captain Stacy.  He’s even been seen fighting alongside the Avengers from time to time.”_ The youngish reporter is dressed casually in dark blue jeans, a t-shirt, and a blazer.  He looks serious. _“I spoke with many residents of the borough, all of whom had positive things to say about the missing hero."_

He’s shown with an older man behind a deli counter, with the bottom banner reading “Rodrigo Delmar.”

_“Spider-Man saved my life and my livelihood when he stopped those guys robbing my store.  I told him, he comes in, his sandwich is on the house; he’s never done it!  Insists on paying me, every time!  Wherever he is, I hope he’s okay.  I owe him.”_

Eddie is shown crouching down next to a little girl, maybe eight years old with curly black hair pulled up into two puffs and brown eyes.  The banner at the bottom proclaims her “Danielle Cage.”

 _“He rescued Mr. Butters from a tree for me.  And he told me he liked my backpack.”_ She turned around to show off a backpack that had the iconic “Hello Puppy” all over it.

Next he’s interviewing a woman named "Susan Storm” and her two children.  They’re sitting in the park.

 _“He’s so polite and he always has a kind word for everyone.  He's such a wonderful role model.  My children really look up to him.”_   The children both nod eagerly.  One is even holding a crochet Spider-Man doll, complete with little white webs.

Then Brock is speaking with a teenager, apparently named Eugene Thompson, at the bowling alley.  The sounds of bowling balls hitting pins in the background are muted as Eddie asks the teen his thoughts.

 _“Spider-Man is the coolest.  The Avengers are neat and all, but Spider-Man?  He looks out for the rest of us, you know?  He looks out for the little guy.”_ Thompson looks upset.  _“It’s a real loss we’re feeling, with him being gone.  I really hope he’s okay, wherever he is.”_

The screen shifts to show Brock walking down a Queens street.  _“The local hero hasn’t been seen since mid-August.  Also troubling is the lack of acknowledgement of his absence by the Avengers.  When I reached out to the media liaison with SHIELD and Stark Industries, the only response I could get is “no comment.” It leaves this reporter wondering if the Avengers, in fact, even care about their ally.  Eddie Brock for Channel 18 News, New York.”_

Tony turns the TV off, hanging his head.  Steve and the others look equally upset, even Natasha who almost never gives anything away.

“Anyone else feeling kinda hopeless?” Scott asks.

“Just a bit,” Sam answers.

Tony sighs.  Months.  Months Peter’s been missing and  _nothing_.  The guilt has been eating at him and he wonders if the situation really is hopeless.

“Hey,” Rhodey says, laying a hand on his shoulder.  “We’re going to find him.”

Tony can only nod, though at this point, he doesn’t believe in much of anything.  He just sits, numb, and almost doesn’t hear his phone ringing.  When he does notice, he answers immediately.  “Strange?  Tell me you have  _something_.”

He’s quiet as he listens to Strange.  He rolls his eyes at the man’s self-important rhetoric, but ultimately ends the call feeling more alive than he’s felt since the day he realized Peter was missing.

“Strange has a lead.”

* * *

When Stephen joins them in one of the conference rooms, he looks more tired than Tony’s ever seen him.  He’s actually sitting down, for a change, his cloak (which Tony would bet money is alive) draped over him like a throw blanket.  Someone’s either made him a cup of tea or he’s summoned it or conjured it or whatever magic’d it thing he does.

“The source of the reality barrier weakening isn’t this reality,” he says.

“Okay, so what reality is it?  What could even cause it?” Steve asks.

“We don’t exactly name them.  This was the 199,999’th reality counted.  As for the cause, in many realities there are sources of power called Infinity Gems.  Or Stones, depending on who named them first in a reality.  Each gem on it’s own possesses more power than we can even imagine.” Stephen motions to the amulet he wears around his neck.  “The Time Gem, for example.  SHIELD would be most familiar with the Tesseract, also known as the Space Gem.” He sips more tea.  “If the gems are used together, there is nothing the wielder could not do.  In that reality, a being named Thanos used the gems to eliminate half of all life, everywhere, in attempt to bring balance and prevent the over mining of resources and then again to destroy the stones themselves.”

“Okay,” Scott says in the silence.  “I’m not an economist or really anything thing -ist, but that makes no sense.”

“Definitely a glass half empty kind of guy,” Rhodey agrees.

“Anyways,” Stephen continues.  “From what I was able to determine, the Avengers from that reality found a method to retrieve the gems and use them to undo the Snap five years later.  And then again to end Thanos once and for all.” Stephen looks down.  “Even still, billions of lives were lost.”

“So, that kind of power being used weakened the barriers,” Natasha concludes.  “Any idea why that would have prompted another Doctor Strange conjure that portal?”

“I don’t know,” Stephen answers.  “If he’s anything like me he wouldn’t have done it needlessly.”

“Then it’s possible that Peter wasn’t taken on purpose, but that it was an accident,” Rhodey suggests.  “And it’s likely that Peter is in a different reality.”

“It’s very possible, given how weak the barriers are,” Stephen allows.

“Great, we know why stuff happened, that’s just wonderful,” Tony finally says, standing.  “What we don’t know, is where exactly Peter is or how to even begin looking for him.” He throws his empty glass against the wall, not even looking as it shatters.  “So, we have exactly nothing!  We might as well be back at square one!”

“Tony, calm down,” Rhodey soothes.  “Yelling isn’t going to help anything.  We know more than we used to, and that’s a win, okay?”  He looks over at Stephen and then Scott and Hope.  “And we have three people who have experience with different realities and dimensions.”

Tony heaved a sigh.  “This still feels hopeless.”

“We’ve done more with less,” Clint says.  “We’re going to find him.”

“And hopefully it will get Peter’s friends off our backs,” Pietro mutters.

Tony wants to snap at him, but honestly just doesn’t have the energy for it.  He’s exhausted, these past few months without Peter have felt like years, even with the holidays fast approaching.  Peter should be home, with his Aunt and his friends, maybe excited about what kind of gift Tony would have prepared for him.  Last year he’d gotten Peter court-side seats for the Knicks, along with a meet-and-greet with the players.

This year, he just doesn’t know what to get Peter, since there’s no guarantee he’ll even be back.  He still can’t bring himself to finish the nano-tech suit for the kid.  Every time he looks at it he’s reminded of his failure to look out for Peter, his failure to be the mentor the kid had obviously needed and wanted.  He’s almost grateful when everyone’s phones beep and upon checking, Steve gives the call to Assemble.

Maybe a mission is just what he needs.

* * *

Stephen’s re-entry from his reality-hopping has all the grace of a wounded hippo.  Still, he catches himself before he crashes into a nearby display case containing the Spear of Sapience.  Wong is with him in moments, helping to ground him.

“Is the traveler still here?” Stephen asks after regaining his bearings.  “The one who fell into this world?”

“Peter Parker,” Wong says.  “Yes.  He has been staying with the Avengers.”

“Good.  Because I’m going to need his help to fix all of this,” Stephen says.  “It’s not just this reality that’s affected; billions of them are feeling the effects.”

“I’ll send a message to the Tower, let the Avengers know you’re back,” Wong offers.  “In the meantime, you should rest.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Stephen agrees.


End file.
